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Child Item

I wasn't even 15' - A Magdalene survivor's story

Timberrrrrrrr

We all know it went on, we have seen the movies and read the stories but seriously, how could the church and the government be so complicit in this shocking treatment of women?

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.rte.ie/amp/968383/

"At night time we were all locked in this cell, this was Peacock Lane in Cork, literally, they were like prison cells.

"And on the outside there was a bolt. And once you went in there at night the bolt was shut from the outside, and you couldn’t get out.

"I was in the padded cell in Cork, accused of stealing someone’s sweets. I wish I had! I hadn’t, and I told them. But I was in there for three nights. Three days and nights.

"There was no mattress on the floor. There was an air vent type of thing up high. I had, again, I had a pot. And I had an enamel cup and a plate with dry bread on it. And I had a cup of water."

She added: "At night time, the nun would come up, it was a key in this particular one, and unlock the padded cell, and I’d walk about 20 yards into the toilets to empty my pot, yet I couldn’t go to the toilet, I had to use a pot."

"So then I went back to the second place [Sunday’s Well, in Cork], and they changed my name to Enda. Enda was the name of my first abuser in Tralee, the nun in charge of the industrial school. So I knew straight away there was a connection there. And I said: ‘No, my name is not Enda’. I discovered afterwards it was a man’s name."

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Ipso

Nothing shocks me about Ireland anymore, apart from people being shocked about it.

nacho libre

"There exists a place of agony
Where children are held captive
Belt across the back, the nuns attack
Believe in God or be beaten to death

Work to earn your keep, no time to sleep
You better know the Bible verse
Or go without and die of thirst
Resent your birth, thanks to God

At Father Baker's, the pain is divine
If you are lucky you'll get out alive

Welcome to terror, you're where you belong
Father is waiting to show you, you're wrong
Learn early on to behave or you'll suffer

Live with his torture, no one to confide
Innocence lost by the rage he inflicts
Repent to God or the pain will persist

Kept inside a cage, humiliate
Till father takes confession
Whipped unmercifully and left to bleed
And by the end to be one with God

Fast you into place, the final phase
Before you meet his maker
Do as you are told or you will go
And then you'll know what is suffering

At Father Baker's, the pain is divine
If you are lucky you'll get out alive"

Zebra3

By government complicity of course we mean FF, FG and Labour criminality.

And let us not forget the role of AGS in all of this.

Trasna1

What I'll never understand was how, in the majority of cases it was parents who put their daughters voluntarily in these institutions. It's a point often overlooked.

It was lack of respect for women from all church, state and family was endemic at the time.

Strazdas

Zebra3 wrote: »

By government complicity of course we mean FF, FG and Labour criminality.

And let us not forget the role of AGS in all of this.

Arguably the public as well. These places were not a secret, everyone knew of them and what was going on.

Ireland was a deeply dysfunctional society back then.

padd b1975

Trasna1 wrote: »

What I'll never understand was how, in the majority of cases it was parents who put their daughters voluntarily in these institutions. It's a point often overlooked.

It was lack of respect for women from all church, state and family was endemic at the time.

Weren't the laundries ran by women?

Flibble

padd b1975 wrote: »

Weren't the laundries ran by women?

They're not women, they're nuns.

Auguste Comte

Just wait until the pope arrives and watch our "leaders" bow and doff the cap to the man at the top of the organisation that carried out this abuse of women and their freedom and who still today are actively hiding paedophiles and frustrating prosecutions around the world.

Senor Langostino wrote: »

I can't see why anyone goes anywhere near a church nowadays, anyone under the age of 75 anyway. It's a ridiculous organisation based on fairy tales in the first place. Never mind all the suffering they caused this country. I really don't get it. Probably most of the people posting here voted for abortion and will go on to get married in a Catholic Church. Stay away from them ffs, look at all the damage they've done!
I suppose someone's going to call me "edgy" now?

jaxxx

Auguste Comte wrote: »

Just wait until the pope arrives and watch our "leaders" bow and doff the cap to the man at the top of the organisation that carried out this abuse of women and their freedom and who still today are actively hiding paedophiles and frustrating prosecutions around the world.

We shouldn't be spending a single cent of our money to accommodate him. If he wants to come here, let him come the same as any other tourist. I read last week that Garda operations are being scaled down in preparation for his visit so that more Gardai can be made available then. Fooooooping disgrace.

Captain Obvious

Timberrrrrrrr wrote: »

We all knew it went on,

Speak for yourself

Roger_007

padd b1975 wrote: »

Weren't the laundries ran by women?

No, not real women in the eyes of most posters. Apparently they were creatures called 'nuns' imported by the church and the state from an alien planet.:rolleyes:

It's amazing how the social history of Ireland is being rewritten. The vast majority of Irish people not only knew, but heartily approved of, what was going on in the Magdelene Laundries, the industrial schools and the Mother-and-baby homes. Now, it is fashionable to blame the 'church' and the 'state'. The reality is that it was our own parents and grandparents who created the social attitudes which brought about the disgusting practices that everyone now condemns. Don't forget that the church and the state, (i.e. us), were composed of people from 'decent' Irish families.
I am old enough to remember the 1983 abortion referendum when these attitudes were displayed in force by a majority of the Irish people.
By denying this reality we are, once again, sweeping the truth 'under the carpet' just like our antecedents did before us.
If we want the truth, then let us have the whole truth.

Eggs For Dinner

Strazdas wrote: »

Ireland was a deeply dysfunctional society back then.

I fear that the word 'was' should be replaced by 'is'. In 20 years time, I wonder what shameful practice will be exposed that is happening today. I am less proud to be Irish every day

kneemos

Roger_007 wrote: »

No, not real women in the eyes of most posters. Apparently they were creatures called 'nuns' imported by the church and the state from an alien planet.:rolleyes:

It's amazing how the social history of Ireland is being rewritten. The vast majority of Irish people not only knew, but heartily approved of, what was going on in the Magdelene Laundries, the industrial schools and the Mother-and-baby homes. Now, it is fashionable to blame the 'church' and the 'state'. The reality is that it was our own parents and grandparents who created the social attitudes which brought about the disgusting practices that everyone now condemns. Don't forget that the church and the state, (i.e. us), were composed of people from 'decent' Irish families.
I am old enough to remember the 1983 abortion referendum when these attitudes were displayed in force by a majority of the Irish people.
By denying this reality we are, once again, sweeping the truth 'under the carpet' just like our antecedents did before us.
If we want the truth, then let us have the whole truth.

People were indoctrinated.
Even those that had reservations about the church kept their mouths shut for the consequences would have been exclusion by family and friends.

Taytoland

The devil church of Rome has left a lasting legacy. Thankfully Ulster rejected it for a long time.

Roger_007

kneemos wrote: »

People were indoctrinated.
Even those that had reservations about the church kept their mouths shut for the consequences would have been exclusion by family and friends.

Indoctrinated my ar$e!
What characterised the Irish people post independence was abject moral cowardice. It takes moral courage to stand up for what is right, but that commodity was sadly lacking in Irish society.

Ulysses Gaze

Taytoland wrote: »

The devil church of Rome has left a lasting legacy. Thankfully Ulster rejected it for a long time.

All religion is evil.

Timberrrrrrrr

Captain Obvious wrote: »

Speak for yourself

Apologies, autocorrect changed know to knew.

Your Face

Taytoland wrote: »

The devil church of Rome has left a lasting legacy. Thankfully Ulster rejected it for a long time.

Idiotic post.

Savage Tyrant

Eggs For Dinner wrote: »

I fear that the word 'was' should be replaced by 'is'. In 20 years time, I wonder what shameful practice will be exposed that is happening today. I am less proud to be Irish every day

In 20 years time we'll look back on the punishments for breaking the prohibition on cannabis as being a great miscarriage of justice. Not on the level of the abuse suffered by these girls in the laundries obviously, but possession of a relatively harmless plant has unjustifiably cost people their employment, their financial security, their ability to travel to other countries and even cost them their liberty. Soon enough it will be looked back apron as a grossly unfair miscarriage of justice and completely outside the jurisdiction of the courts.

Wesser

Eggs For Dinner wrote: »

Strazdas wrote: »

Ireland was a deeply dysfunctional society back then.

I fear that the word 'was' should be replaced by 'is'. In 20 years time, I wonder what shameful practice will be exposed that is happening today. I am less proud to be Irish every day

Direct provision will be the Magdalene laundry of our times. Talking away peoples autonomy, free will and dignity.
We will look back in 20 years and say how did we tolerate and do nothing.
People will be astoundef that we even know the locations of the ' camps'.

The_Kew_Tour

It was Barbaric.

It's almost surreal.

My Mum said 3 from her class alone just vanished between ages of 12 - 15. Never heard of again.

whisky_galore

Taytoland wrote: »

The devil church of Rome has left a lasting legacy. Thankfully Ulster rejected it for a long time.

One thing they were right about. Home Rule was Rome rule.

On the other hand, they're looking like outdated dinosaurs themselves now.:pac:

Donald Trump

Taytoland wrote: »

The devil church of Rome has left a lasting legacy. Thankfully Ulster rejected it for a long time.

Ah, a good forward thinking and modern DUP man no doubt

How's that working out for ya?

pgj2015

The church would still be behaving like this if they thought they could get away with it.

hatrickpatrick

Why in f*ck are there still people out there who insist that "church-bashing" be kept separate from discussions about these issues?

The Catholic Church has been exposed as an unspeakably evil organisation masquerading as a Christian one, and I say this as somebody who was born and raised a Catholic and stuck by his religion through thick and thin until his mid-20s (the Tuam scandal being the straw that broke the camel's back).

In all honesty, the Criminal Assets Bureau needs to get involved in the unpaid compensation issues at this stage as far as I'm concerned, and I wouldn't even object to the religious orders in Ireland being made proscribed organisations and being driven out of this country by force. They have absolutely no place in any civilised society.

How anyone can read these utterly horrific stories and not come to the same conclusions is totally beyond me.

And just by the way, I really do have the greatest sympathy for lay Catholics who are forced to witness the unravelling of the organisation into which they placed their trust as the one legitimate intermediary between themselves and God. I was one of them, and letting go was hard. I don't for one minute include lay Catholics in any of my vitriol, nor even do I include those good, misguided people who are members of the clergy or the orders and are just as horrified by all this as we are, but I do believe that however painful it may be, the organisation needs to be driven from this country. Those who died in pain and suffering under the authority of this wretched bastion of cruelty will not rest easy in their graves until that happens. I cannot stand the idea of another human being spending their lives being raised Catholic and spending their lives in total ignorance of the horrific legacy they will have to deal with once they're old enough to think for themselves. It has to stop. For the good of humanity and for the good of Christianity, the organisation that is the Catholic Church needs to die.

JupiterKid

I saw the beginning of the end for the church in Ireland which was the (now very tame) Bishop Eamonn Casey "scandal" and the X-case in 1992 when I was 17.

By that time I had made up my mind to walk away, which I did in 1993 and am delighted in hindsight that I was one of the first to see the the truly monstrous entity that the church in Ireland was. For me the decision to finally leave was the church's vicious reaction to the decriminalisation of homosexuality and the church's total rejection of what I am when I was struggling to accept that I was a gay man.

The very mass I walked out of was one where the priest told the congregation all gay people were destined for hell - it was summer 1993 just after I sat my leaving and just before I went to college. I was so angry at the church for a very long time.

And between the ages of 9 and 12 I was a devoutly religious young child. The subsequent child sex abuse scandals such as the extremely evil Fr Brendan Smyth, the then shocking Goldenbridge orphanage documentary and just more scandal after scandal after scandal completely vindicated my decision to leave for good.

I'm just amazed that so many in this country held on to their religion for so long when the evil and rottenness was plain for all to see. Many if not most of my friends in Dublin, and quite a few of their parents, stopped going to mass in the 1995 to 2001 period.

Nothing that evil organisation is revealed to have done in recent years shocks me anymore. I'm just surprised hundreds of churches across the country haven't been burned to the ground given the revelations.

Graces7

There are many fine souls here with a deep faith in Jesus who know Him and love Him.

Privileged to know many such and be one of them.

Including many contemplative Nuns who were blameless. And who quietly picked up many who had suffered and supported them . I know as I was one they helped and we are many.

They will keep the church alive but not as it was when the abuse happened.

Anger is a very bad leader. Blinds.

PS I do know better than to return to this thread :eek: And you must know from other threads and posts how much I hate and abbhor the abuse. But hatred destroys.

erica74

I know it has been said already but, given the impact the catholic church has had on Ireland, it is insane that we are throwing open the doors for the pope.

Eggs For Dinner

Savage Tyrant wrote: »

In 20 years time we'll look back on the punishments for breaking the prohibition on cannabis as being a great miscarriage of justice. Not on the level of the abuse suffered by these girls in the laundries obviously, but possession of a relatively harmless plant has unjustifiably cost people their employment, their financial security, their ability to travel to other countries and even cost them their liberty. Soon enough it will be looked back apron as a grossly unfair miscarriage of justice and completely outside the jurisdiction of the courts.

You are probably right. However, cannabis, like drink, is a product that can have consequences for other people. We are slowly getting people to accept that you can't drink and drive and many still won't take personal responsibility. I certainly wouldn't want a motorist, surgeon, co-worker on a building site etc under the influence beside me.

Ashbourne hoop

Eggs For Dinner wrote: »

I fear that the word 'was' should be replaced by 'is'. In 20 years time, I wonder what shameful practice will be exposed that is happening today. I am less proud to be Irish every day

Direct Provision....