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

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.

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 wrote: »

Weren't the laundries ran by women?

They're not women, they're nuns.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

Wesser wrote: »

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'.

No.

AS whose application fails, they then choose, let me repeat, choose, to stay and appeal and appeal.

There are various levels of appeal, all the way to the higher courts.

People in DP can walk out tomorrow, and go home.

They choose not to.

What we are guilty of is allowing the appeals system to take so long.

First thing the Pope should do when he arrives over here is to get down on his hands and knees and beg the people of Ireland for forgiveness. The Catholic Church set back the progress of this country by a century.

super_furry wrote: »

First thing the Pope should do when he arrives over here is to get down on his hands and knees and beg the people of Ireland for forgiveness. The Catholic Church set back the progress of this country by a century.