The abuse of children by the Catholic orders: Part 1 – Glin: The school that became a gulag for kids
The vast complex of St. Joseph’s Industrial School at Glin, County Limerick
It seems to be a pattern in Irish psychology that they protect themselves from horrific events simply by not talking about it. You would have been hard-pressed to find someone to discuss the Dromcollogher fire immediately after 1926, for example. It seems that this looks to be the case also in the village of Glin, which was the location of one of the most horrendous industrial schools in the country.
The fact that the Catholic Church were involved, and how the country as a whole were defferential to the Church, served only to compound things.
The attitude of the Church in Limerick was demonstrated by a comment made by Sean Lemeas on visiting Limerick, when he noted that you would either encounter a strike or a novena.
In his book Angelas Ashes, Frank McCourt gave a glimpse of the brutality of the Christian Brothers, when he said that you would be beaten if you didn’t say Eamon De Valera wasn’t the greatest man that ever lived, and you would be beaten if you didn’t say Michael Collins wasn’t the greatest man that ever lived.
As late as the 1980s, the City Centre would be choked with traffic every June when the Redemptorists held their novena. A house that didn’t have the blue sticker with the white cross in their window was considered an oddity.
The cracks began to show when, in the early 1990s, Christine Buckley gave an interview in the hope of finding family members after she spent her childhood in Goldenbridge school in Dublin. When asked by host Gay Byrne what life was like at the institution, she gave a picture of abuse and brutality. This was then followed by the lovechild scandal which befell Bishop Eamon Casey, and the clerical abuse case which brought down the Government in 1992.
While deference to the church was gradually eroded in general society, the 2002 indemnity deal made between the Government and CORI (on behalf of 18 religeous orders), and proposals for a blasphemous libel law in 2009, shows that those in power have some catching up to do.
The Industrial School at Glin
You can read the CICA chapter on Glin by clicking here.
St. Joseph’s Industrial School came into existance when the Christian Brothers were asked to run a school for Catholic boys who were at risk of falling into delinquency. It was originally based at Sexton Street, but was moved in 1928 to the former workhouse and District School at Glin when the Sexton Street became overcrowded.
The school accomodated boys who came from dysfunctional families, or who were sent by the courts due to criminal activity. The school population grew to a peak of 212 in 1949,after which, there was a steady decline until it’s closure in 1966, when there were only 48 boys accomodated there.
The Commission to Investigate Child Abuse report catelogued a catalogue of brutality which took place at Glin. Physical, sexual, and psychological abuse was endemic amongst both brothers and lay staff at the school throughout it’s existance.
Where were the whistleblowers?
Indeed there were a number of people who tried to get action in relation to the abuses taking place at Glin. But most calls fell on Government ministers, members of the De Valera Government to be precise, who acted in a half-harted way, and who saw these whistleblowers as troublemakers, and nothing more.
The first instance covered in detail occurred in the period of 1945 to 1947.
The report named the victim in the detailed account as Paul Blake. His real name is Gerard Fogerty. The County Edition of the Limerick Leader this week reports that Mr. Fogerty died in 2007, aged 77. After Mr. Fogerty escaped from St. Joseph’s he went home to his parents. His mother saw injuries that he received and brought them to the attention of a City Councillor. The report did not name the Councillor, however the Limerick Leader identifies him as Cllr Martin McGuire. He wrote to the Minister for Education calling for an investigation into how the children at Glin, and other Industrial Schools were being treated.
It is my distasteful duty to draw your attention to what I consider is a matter of paramount public importance. [A boy’s mother] called upon me on Wednesday last the 1st instant together with her son … whom she stated was committed to Glin Industrial School. She further stated that the boy had escaped from the institution on the previous day, Tuesday 31st ultimo. She stated that he had received a flogging on Monday the 30th ultimo. She invited me to examine her son’s back which bore numerous dark stripes. There were also sores visible on the boy’s back.
I issued a dispensary ticket to [a doctor] to have the youth examined at William Street Garda Station, Limerick, on the evening of Wednesday the 1st instant, three days after the alleged flogging had taken place. He (the doctor) informed me that the boy’s back bore evidence of having received a flogging.
On questioning the boy, prior to his agreeing to surrender himself to the Garda authorities, he informed me that, as a result of his having not returned to the Industrial School at the end of the holiday period he was stripped of his clothes and flogged with a whip which had a number of leather thongs attached thereto.
1.Will you please state:- If a form of punishment so described by this boy is prescribed by law in certain cases in Industrial Schools and Borstal Institutions.
2.If the recipient of such treatment is compelled to be stripped or partly stripped of his clothing.
3.If it is compulsory for the Superior or other authorized person of an Industrial School or Borstal Institution to inflict such treatment in certain circumstances.
4.If the use of a whip with a number of leather thongs is prescribed and permitted.
5.If the report from Glin Industrial School agrees with the statement made to me by [the boy].
6.If it does not in what respect does it differ.
I may mention in conclusion that on Wednesday night this boy who handed himself over to the Garda authorities, later escaped from the members of the Glin Institution who had been sent to collect him at Limerick.
He received an acknowledgement from some civil servant at the Department, but was not satisfied with this. He wrote another letter, which included a medical report
[Fogerty] was examined by me at William St. Barracks on August 1st 1945. Examination revealed on posterior surface of right upper arm, on right forearm and on back – wheals – about 2 to 3” long. The wheals were not tender or sore and was such as would be produced by a leather thong.
Not content with being fobbed off, Cllr McGuire continued hounding the Education department with letters until he received a curt response from yet another civil servant. in October of 1945.
the Minister for Education desires me to inform you that he does not feel called upon to give you the information you have asked for in the matter unless he is supplied with evidence as to your right to obtain that information and is given an assurance as to the purpose for which it is required.
Cllr McGuire responded “my position as a Public representative entitles me to the information requested … for the purpose of confirming the allegations made to me which if correct should be ventilated in the interests of the public.”
He received a reply in January 1946, which was sent on condition of strict confidence. This letter was never found. It emerged in the report however, that the brother who was responsible for the abuse on Fogerty was transferred, and Fogarty was released a year early, just two months after the injuries he received were brought to the attention of Cllr McGuire.
The City Councillor continued his letter campaign calling for an enquiry into the whole industrial school and borstal system. But was told that it would accomplish nothing as there was an examination of the system ten years previously.
Councillor McGuire forwarded his exchanges with the Government on the issue to the founder of the “Boys Town” project in the United States via an associate. Fr. Edward Flannegan who was on a visit to Ireland and was critical of Ireland’s Industrial School system.
In the 1950s, a man employed for six months as a night watchman, wrote to both the Department of Education, and the Department of Justice in relation to concerns he had about Glin. In the report, he is given the name “Mr. Dubois”
Dear Sir,
May I respectfully direct your kind attention “in Confidence” to the following and I am confident that by doing so that I shall be doing a great work of charity.
For the past six months, I was employed as “night-watch man” at St Joseph’s Industrial School Glin Co Limerick, and having had close contact with the “Boys” and with the running of the school in general, I am in the position to be able to make the enclosed observations and respectfully request that the Inspectors of this department see after the matter and do their best to remedy the state of affairs existing there.
The Boys are discontented with the existing state of things due to the following defects.
Poor food and clothing. The cook in Boys Kitchen has no knowledge of cooking being an ex pupil working for 15/- per week and has never got any training for this work.
Everyone employed at this school are free to have a smack at the Boys including the Brothers who appear to be indifferent to all this. The Boys beds and sleeping quarters are very poor and during the cold winter months are never heated, neither do the Boys get any kind of winter clothing to keep them warm. The Boys shirts are very poor quality and very badly washed the whole place and system is very-very bad.
The Infirmary is just the same. The nurse goes off duty pretty often and the children are left to the mercy of one of the boys. I know the Brothers can scrape out of any difficulty but I write from personal experience. and if you could arrange surprise visits. night and day. you could see for yourself. I could never have believed that such could exist in a Catholic Country. I know there is a good deal of window dressing to deceive the eye of the visiting official but I learn that the Boys are warned not to complain May God help the poor children.
There are only two trades men in this school, a shoe maker and a tailor, no carpenter employed. How can we expect such Boys to become an asset to the state. They shall treat the state as the state treats them. Pay a surprise visit to this school some cold night and see for yourself. The former night watch man a common farm labourer. carried a heavy leather when on duty and beat up the poor children as he pleased. please Sir remedy this. and you will have the blessing of God and the prayers of the poor children God bless you.
Yours respectfully
Mr Dubois
In confidence
And to the Department of Justice
Dear Sir,
May I respectfully direct your kind attention “in confidence” to the following hoping that you Sir will do something to help the poor unfortunate children concerned.
For a period of six months, I took up a position of night watchman in one of our Industrial Schools “for Boys” namely, St Joseph’s School Glin Co Limerick and I may tell you Sir, that I never expected to find in a Catholic Country like ours, the awful bad conditions in so far as the poor Boys were concerned, only that I had spent six months and seen for myself I never could have believed that such conditions could exist especially as this Institution is under the care of our Irish Christian Brothers who are so reputed for teaching etc.
When I took up employment there last March, I found the poor children in a very nervous state, due to harsh treatment at the hands of the former night man (a local labourer) rough and cruel, who was allowed a free hand to beat up the children as he pleased, and was permitted to carry a heavy leather for this purpose. The children were called out of their sleep every hour to use the W.C. and any poor child who had the misfortune to wet his bed, was very roughly treated by this night-man, who also reported the matter to the Brothers in the morning, and a further punishment was then administered to the poor child by the Brothers concerned. The children have no redress whatsoever and are just like convicts.
With regards the food its very-very poor and the person in charge of the cooking is a young boy aged about 17 years an ex-pupil of the school, who at the age of 16 years was discharged, and sent to a job … but did not get on well and was sent back to the school, and the Superior … appointed him boys cook, but he knows nothing whatever about cooking and what he cooks for the poor children isn’t fit for pigs to eat and I often felt sorry for the poor children especially the young and helpless ones. The Children gets very little butter. their bread is served almost dry they are allowed 2 slices of bread each with a little scraping of butter or marge, and an extra slice dry the tea, or cocoa is very light and badly made. The Bro. who is supposed to supervise the Kitchen (Br Warrane19) never bothers to do so, as he is a jack of all trades and never has much time to look after any job properly apart from the motor car which he drives. This Br Warrane is a sour kind of person and never speaks a kind word to any of the children, and is very severe with the leather which he is very fond of using. All the employees are allowed to beat the children especially the plough-man (Mr Prewitt) is very hard on the children working on the farm and very fond of using the boot, and his fist.
The children are very badly clothed. They are not supplied with any winter under clothing, neither are the sleeping quarters heated in winter and the poor children told me that they felt very cold at night and if they complained the Brothers would only laugh at them. I have experienced some cold nights at the school and what must it be in the winter!
I respectfully beg to hope Sir that you will look into the matter. I sent a confidential report to the Dept of Education but not enough to cover all I have observed during my six months at the School. The Infirmary part of the school needs overhaul and the present nurse is very fond of been away as she is local. She appears to have no love or sympathy for the children and the children will suffer much before they report sick as they don’t like the nurse. In my humble opinion Sir the whole school needs a good honest overhaul and a few night surprise visits, There appears to be a good deal of window dressing and outward appearances. No one has seen the meals served out to the poor children but I have Sir and all I have to say Sir, is may God help the poor little ones, they are a pity.
The position of night man in such schools is a very important one, and I respectfully suggest Sir that you should interest yourself in the type of person employed, and draw up rules and regulations to fit the job. The children are at the mercy of the night man during the night and it’s important that such a man should be a sober man and have patience and charity in his dealings with the children, and Glin school can tell some queer tales about night-men. One thing I found most lacking in St Joseph’ Glin was charity. The only place I’ve seen real charity was with the Good Brothers of St John of God in St Augustine’s Blackrock Dublin, and what a pity these fine men cannot have charge of our Industrial Schools for they have at heart the real love of God, and in the poor children they see Christ Himself.
I feel now Sir, that I can feel at ease as I was worried when I had to leave the children as my health would not permit me to continue the work, as I never smoke or drink I suited the job and I had the full confidence of the boys, who regretted my leaving and I promised them I would look after their interests. Do your best Sir, and look out for window dressing and bear in mind that the children are afraid to complain to any visiting official and you cannot expect much help from them.
God bless you Sir,
Your obedient Servant
Mr Dubois
Confidently
Mr Dubois’ letters prompted an investigation byDepartment of Education inspectors. The subsequent report concluded that Mr. Dubois had been dismissed for insubordination. The report mentioned that he used to take food from the brothers refrectory and give it to the boys on the sly. The report concluded
I would guess that Mr Dubois is a well-meaning person of rather unreserved character, and would advise taking no further notice of any missives he may forward. The Inspectors, however, intend to visit the school for some time more frequently than is customary, and it would seem well to do this.
In the next part, I will take a look at Letterfrack in County Galway, and the ~Christian Brother who bashed kids for being from Limerick.