Suffer the Little Children: The Inside Story of Ireland's Industrial Schools: Amazon.ca: Raftery: Books

Product Description

From Publishers Weekly

Between 1868 and 1969, more than 100,000 Irish children were taken from their families by the state and placed in so-called industrial schools run by various orders of the Catholic Church. The conditions in these schools, as documented by Raftery first in her award-winning TV documentary States of Fear and now in this book, were appalling. The documentary so shocked Ireland that the prime minister was forced to offer an apology on behalf of the state. Collaborating here with O'Sullivan, a lecturer in social policy at Trinity College, Dublin, Raftery presents a child welfare system out of control. Most of the children in industrial schools were placed there because of their parents' poverty. Then the state closed its eyes as the children were abused physically, mentally and sexually by the nuns and priests who were supposed to take care of them. The testimonials of the former students themselves are heart-wrenching. Mary Norris remembers being remanded because her mother, a widow with eight children, allowed a man to stay the night. Don Baker tells that, when he, aged 12, arrived at his school, the priest pointed at his groin and asked, "Do you play with that?" Baker remembers the school as something out of Oliver Twist old, filthy clothes, terrible food and repeated floggings. Interspersed throughout the testimonials are political details: which government and which minister either ignored allegations or quickly passed the buck. It is noteworthy that Father Edward Flanagan, founder of Boystown, on a visit to Ireland in 1946 condemned the highly abusive and punitive culture within the Irish industrial schools. Raftery and O'Sullivan perform an important service in recording the ugly story of these institutions.

Review

"...vivid personal records give the book its central voice and they make for some compelling reading..." -- Irish Edition, July 2001

"An interesting, though painful, read." -- Catholic New Times, July 1, 2001

"Solidly researched and harrowingly reported." -- America, August 27, 2001

"Well-documented...compelling...Suffer the Little Children provides plenty of food for thought." -- Social Service Review

“Heart-wrenching….Raftery and O’Sullivan perform an important service in recording the ugly story of these institutions.” -- Publishers Weekly

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5.0 out of 5 stars Suffer the little Children a most fantastic written book, Oct 30 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Suffer the Little Children: The Inside Story of Ireland's Industrial Schools (Hardcover)

This book is one of true meaning an excellent written book, which show's the through Ireland. This books explains the mentality of the religious and states minds. Truly deeply sad book but very much worth the read. This book is excellent in the sense of giving true awareness to the Irish state.
Highly recommended.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Understanding Ireland, May 17 2001

By

Bob Jennings (Washington) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Suffer the Little Children: The Inside Story of Ireland's Industrial Schools (Hardcover)

This book presents a portrait of 20th century Ireland that will debunk any nostalgic or sentimental view of the so called 'Emerald Isle'. No shamrocks and leprecauns in this book, but a history of cruelty, abuse and power. It tells the story of how Irish children were incarcerated in huge numbers throughout the 19th and 20th centuries in reformatory and industrial schools which were managed by the Catholic Church. Based on detailed historical research and interspersed with gut-wrenching first hand accounts of survivors of these institutions, it shows how an alliance between a power hungry Catholic Church and an indifferent Irish State resulted in the incarceration of the children of the poor. Rather than helping poor families, Church and State removed these children to bleak institutions where large numbers were sexually and physically abused and tortured by their Christian carers. I don't think that I will ever think about the Catholic Church and Ireland in the same way ever again. Anger, saddness, frustration, disbelief, but above all anger - why did this happen? I experienced all these emotions when reading this book. If you want to really understand Irish society, this book is essential and harrowing reading.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Understanding Ireland, May 17 2001

By

Bob Jennings (Washington) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Suffer the Little Children: The Inside Story of Ireland's Industrial Schools (Hardcover)

This book presents a portrait of 20th century Ireland that will debunk any nostalgic or sentimental view of the so called 'Emerald Isle'. No shamrocks and leprecauns in this book, but a history of cruelty, abuse and power. It tells the story of how Irish children were incarcerated in huge numbers throughout the 19th and 20th centuries in reformatory and industrial schools which were managed by the Catholic Church. Based on detailed historical research and interspersed with gut-wrenching first hand accounts of survivors of these institutions, it shows how an alliance between a power hungry Catholic Church and an indifferent Irish State resulted in the incarceration of the children of the poor. Rather than helping poor families, Church and State removed these children to bleak institutions where large numbers were sexually and physically abused and tortured by their Christian carers. I don't think that I will ever think about the Catholic Church and Ireland in the same way ever again. Anger, saddness, frustration, disbelief, but above all anger - why did this happen? I experienced all these emotions when reading this book. If you want to really understand Irish society, this book is essential and harrowing reading.

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars How Could This Happen?
This is a shocking and rivetting book. It deals with the enormous scale of child abuse in Irish institutions during much of the 20th century. Read more

Published on May 8 2001 by Bill Cooper

5.0 out of 5 stars Tragedy of Ireland's Lost Children
This is a heart-wrenching book, a rollercoaster ride through the misery of what happened to thousands of Irish children during the 20th century. Read more

Published on May 6 2001 by Bill Cooper