I would like to know... those victimes of the 1930 and 40's.

I would like to know who is representing the victims of the 1930s and 40s? Sadly many have gone to their graves too ashamed, fearful of talking and fearful of displaying their lack of education and understanding of the outside world.

I’ve always considered myself fortunate in being able to block out my past.
It helped to have been addressed by an incorrect name during my ’stay’ in State/Church custody. I ‘left the boy with the other name locked in Artane’.

In 2006 I decided to write the story of what I believed to be a complete childhood spent in these ’schools’.

Imagine my shock on learning that I had a life before I ‘entered’ my first Industrial School. Charged at Dublin DC as a two year old in 1934 by a Judge Cussen, with ‘Reaciving Alms’, I was sentenced to be detained till age 16. No family member visited me during the 14 years.

On my release there was some confusion as I was being turned over to the custody of a complete strange woman; my Mother! In answer to her question, "What’s your name?" Of course I replied with the name I’d always been known.
"Are you sure you have the correct boy" She asked of the Brother. He in turn asked me my number which confirmed I was the correct boy.
As a well trained object I accepted my new name.

She had no place for me to stay, and and armed with the good trade I laboured at in Artane: there was no call for poultry farmers in the center of Dublin City.
I ran away with-in days never to see or have contact with her again.

Released in Oct ‘47 I tracked down my Father.
He had built himself a new life with a new woman with whom he fathered 5 children. I also found two sister’s.

By the end of 1948 I left Ireland for good and kept a loose contact with just the one sister. The reason I traced the father was to obtain his signature as my ‘guardian’.
It was a requirement join the British Forces as a 17 year old. It would be hard for some people to understand that when I say that I felt no bitterness towards any member of my family. There was just no feeling.

Some 40 years later I managed to locate my younger sister and invited both sisters to our large country home. It was the first meeting since the break-up of the family in 1934.

It proved a very painful get together. I tried to discover what had happened all those years earlier. Neither would talk; just crying, pleading and begging me to stop asking questions. The frustration proved too much for me to handle. My wife and I had been through a deep tragedy. Upset, I stormed out and the younger sister took her secret to her grave never telling her children of her past in an Industrial School.

My older sister who lives alone in Ireland, now around 85yrs old, could not and still can not, bring herself to speak of the past. I hear from her once or twice a year.

My wife passed away 12/12/07 and only now am trying to find out who I am! What I’ve uncovered so far, leaves me shocked and appalled and sadly I’ve come to understand why no one wished to revisit the past.

It appears that I had three brothers, one five years younger than I. Two of them I understand are dead, but I await death certificates. The other I suspect I’ll never learn anything.

One thing I’ve learned of the Irish State/Church then is, that by anyone’s standards it was sick, evil and cruel.
I’ve had an exceptional life and achieved goals beyond many peoples wildest dreams.
There was no way I was going to let those bastards win!
October 14th, 2009

I left Ireland in early 1949 never to return. My 'Ultimate Disposal' from the notorious Artane Industrial School I discovered in 2006 was the day before my 16th birthday (never knew my birthday). The most important information I learned through the Freedom of Information Act was the reason for my incarceration was I was a criminal! At Dublin DC in 1934 as a two year old I was charged with begging and sentenced to be detained for 14 years. At age 10, I was put to work making and repairing clothing and at 14 worked full time on the poultry farm 7 day a week 365 days a year. All those years I had no visitors. The stigma and shame of having a child in one of those places wasn't something one wished to be associated with. I was known as Charlie and my number was 11,536. At 17 I first discovered the difference between sexes! Once out of Ireland I left Charlie behind and tried to blank out all the abuses. I've just completed a book about my life that will shock and I hope inspire some people.
20/5/2009