Survivor of St Joseph's Industrial School in Kilkenny to Speak at Meeting

By Mary Cody
Kilkenny People
January 20, 2021

https://www.kilkennypeople.ie/news/home/603443/survivor-of-st-joseph-s-industrial-school-in-kilkenny-to-speak-at-meeting.html

Carlow councillor Adrienne Wallace is hosting the online event

Following the release of the commission’s report on Mother and Baby Homes last week, survivors of church and state abuse have organised an online open meeting to voice their concerns and frustrations.

Maureen Sullivan, Deirdre Wadding and Ray Noctor, who are all survivors of church and state abuse, will be speaking at it and all are welcome to virtually attend.

The meeting will take place on Thursday (January 21) at 7pm, it will be chaired by People Before Profit cllr Adrienne Wallace and can be viewed by following the link on her facebook page ‘@AdriennePBPA’.

Local woman Maureen Sullivan was one of the youngest girls to be put in a Magdalene Laundry. Maureen was taken to a laundry in New Ross where there was “no schooling, just the laundry every day, from 6am to about 9pm, with cleaning duties in the evening and at weekends”. The women there were adults, many elderly.

Ray Noctor, another local man, is a survivor from St. Joesph’s industrial school and won a landmark case in the High Court when he sued the State, the Minister for Education, St Joseph's Industrial School, Kilkenny, the South Eastern Health Board and the Minister for Health in 2005.

Deirdre Wadding is a survivor from Bessborough home where she gave birth to her son who was later put up for adoption.

Mr. Noctor is critical of the Redress Scheme previous survivors were awarded under and is calling for the gagging order imposed on victims via this scheme to be scrapped.

He warns against following a similar model for survivors of mother and baby homes. The report has come under criticism for claiming that there was “no forced adoptions” and “little evidence of physical abuse” which is contested by survivors. The controversial vote last year by Government TDs to seal the files also remains a burning issue as personal information can only be accessed at the discretion of Minister O’Gorman.