The God Squad

Paddy Doyle was born in County Wexford, Ireland in 1951 and now lives in County Dublin. He is recognized as one or Ireland’s leading disability activists and has served as a member of the government-appointed Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities.

He has recently been appointed by the Government as a member of the Memorial Committee to Survivors of Child Abuse. His appointment follows a recommendation of the Report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, that a memorial be established to the memory of children who were abused, physically, sexually, psychologically and emotionally while in the care of Religious Orders and the Irish State.

A frequent contributor to television, radio and the print media on matters as diverse as the role of the church in caring for children to the legalization of marijuana for medical use. He has travelled extensively throughout Europe and the United States, speaking on issues such as disability and child abuse. This website deals with a number of issues but is primarily aimed at making information relating to Child Abuse available to people who otherwise might not have access to it. This is particularly true of the issue of Child Abuse in Ireland as well at matters relating to the Residential Institutions Redress Board (RIRB) – set up to compensate those people who were abused as children while in the care of religious orders and the Irish State.

On the 19th of May 2010 Paddy received the Lord Mayor’s Award (Dublin).

The citation reads: Paddy Doyle, Author, Disability Rights Campaigner and Advocate for Victims of Institutional Abuse. In recognition of his tireless and passionate work on behalf of the marginalised in our society and for his contribution to literature and education.

Paddy was the first recipient of the Christy Brown Award for Literature, in 1984, for a television play entitled “Why Do I Bother?” Shortly after it was published, The God Squad became a best-selling book in both Ireland and the United Kingdom and has been translated into German, Danish and Japanese. Recently THE GOD SQUAD was published in Slovenian. Tweet
I’m indebted to the many journalists who have over the years given me permission to use articles written by them in various newspapers.

“A bird that you set free may be caught again, but a word that escapes your lips will not return.” – Jewish proverb

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