My mother, now 89 and in ill health, has only just found the strength to tell me about her childhood. She was put in one of Ireland’s Industrial Schools at the age of just 2 1/2 yrs until she was put into service at 16yrs and has kept this terrible secret until now. How very disturbing for me (one of her two children) to discover the horrendous conditions, treatment and neglect she was forced to endure from such a young age. She was brain washed by the nuns ‘NEVER to tell where she lived or people would judge you as evil’ so she never did until now. Now that I know, and I dont know it all yet as she is still talking, it explains much about her behaviour that until now were often a bafflement to me. I know now that she had NO upbringing and when she said she was working from the age of 2 1/2 I now know what she meant. So much to say, someone has to listen to her, she deserves that much at least.

I dont know anything about compensation but some sort of acknowledgement at least for the pain and degradation she suffered at the hands of the Catholic Church may help her come to terms with her past. Can somebody please help me to help her?

Hi, I just wondered if it was widespread throughout the industrial schools to detain people for a longer period than the courts deemed they should be.? (2 years in my case).

I am honoured to know you.

Seanie

I am in a small village about 32 miles from Yuma, “Wellton”. I read your letter and could feel your anger and pain, what has been done to you and your wife is criminal, Norco is off my track heading back to Canada’s North where I live for the six month’s of summer and if and when I have the occasion I will express my feelings to whatever website they have in Norco regarding your case, not that they would give a damn an Irish Canadian thinks of their disgraceful legal system, do not give up Patrick.
I left Ireland in 1951 three month’s after being released from Glin Co Limerick an ignorant kid of sixteen and three months, my crime for being sent in was I borrowed a Priest’s old bike they said I stole it because I went for a spin of thirty five miles and surrendered to the Garda, three miles past Glin Industrial school. I had been flogged with a leather and a leg off a chair by the head master Bro. “Baldy” McGuire,a few days earlier, I went unconcious during the hiding, I was terrified that my mother would also beat me if she found out I had been flogged for mooching, I acted normal standing at the table as my younger brother and sisters sat, we had four chairs and a table, one got up and my mother ordered me to sit in the chair to eat the meal, sheeps head soup and a slice of bread if I recall that day, I’ll stand Mama I told her, she demanded that I sit, I started to cry, I could not sit, she came around the table and lifted my ganzy pulled my pants down as she followed the welts down my back and backside, I heard the breath leave her, who in the name of Jasus did that to you Seanie Morrison, I blurted out the headmaster. Next morning she put on her old coat that was hanging on a nail in the back door and took me by the hand up to Creagh Lane Christian Brothers school and we went up the iron stairs to the headmasters classroom, she knocked, his six foot two frame appeared bending down to ask me what was the matter, turning me around she pulled my ganzy up and asked him, did you do this to my child, he did not have time to answer, the big milk bottle she had in the pocket of the old coat crashed over his stooping head and took me by the hand and we walked back down the stairs and out onto Bridge street and back to the “Island field housing estate” where I was the first child born there in 1935. My mother got three months in jail and this criminal got three years in HELL. I thought I would let you know who I am and a very tiny piece of my memoir which I call “damaged goods” a memoir for my children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. I said I was ignorant when released and it was difficult to mix with apprentices who had an education in England and I had to fine tune a couple of the lads, one who later became a great friend made the mistake as we played rugby of calling me a little Irish bastard, I was on his shoulders in a flash as I was small for my age (lack of nourishment in Glin I guess} and did not stop pounding on him until he went down on the ground, I later on in life looked at my parents marriage certificate and lo and behold Freddy was right, I was a potential bastard, my parents married in February I was born that August. I married at age 21, 1956 in a register office cost 7/6p, am still with my wife, served in the special forces in the Far East Jungle, before Vietnam on active service, studied as much as I could in any available college back in civvy street and eventually was accepted into Victoria University, Vancouver Island, Canada. I never darkened a Church doorway shortly after to England. Regarding Inmate V Inmate in the Hellhole I had one lad climb into my bed once as the night watchman left the dormitory, he had an erection and I pushed him out of the bed as I awoke with him on top of me, this is the first time I have mentioned that to anyone Paddy, I was ashamed that it happened at all although it was none of my fault, he had a hard time looking me in the face after that, I did not say anything to anyone as they would kill him and maybe myself, mums the word inside. I tell of the time in Glin and life before and after and hope my little family get to know the story of my time here.
Hope I did not bore you.

Seanie CII. ACFE
Patrick if you could send me your book I will pay for it.