Difficult life for Industrial boys

Difficult life for Industrial boys

Tuesday August 21 2007

Thank you for Bruce Arnold's article about the past hidden reports about the Artane Industrial School (Irish Independent, August 18).

Heart rending reading in 2007, to think that the majority of the Irish population had a vastly different opinion of the conditions pertaining there.

The boys of those years are now older men, and many must have had a very difficult life.

The fact that the reports of 1936 and 1962 were covered up, is a far greater tragedy when we learn of the accomplices -- civil servants.

In 1996 millions of taxpayers money was spent on the 150th anniversary of the Famine years in Ireland. Committees throughout Ireland erected statues and memorials for the unknown dead. Well, dear Irishmen and women today, there are many former residents of State institutions in need of your help.

They won't thank you for statues to them in ten years time, let alone 150 years.

People suffered mental and physical abuse at the hands of bullies ably assisted by civil servants -- the very people who were supposed to protect them.

Declan Foley

Berwick

Australia