Michael OBrien Interview

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July 07, 2009

A FORMER Fianna Fáil mayor who was physically and sexually abused in Ferryhouse Industrial school has called on the religious orders to actively seek out other victims who have not yet come forward for help. Michael OBrien, who spent eight years in St Josephs School, Ferryhouse, Clonmel, said the Rosminian Order which ran it, and the other religious congregations who were in charge of similar institutions, were not doing enough to make up for the suffering their members caused. "There are an awful lot of down and outs men and women whose lives were destroyed in those schools and who are on the streets of Dublin, Cork, London, Manchester, Bristol. I want the religious orders to go out and find them. There are people suffering from alcoholism and drug addiction. I want the orders to help them. I am just one person there are thousands who never uttered a word about what they went through," he said.

Mr OBrien, 75, a former long-serving member of Clonmel Corporation who was elected lord mayor in the early 1990s, has been campaigning for the rights of fellow victims through his Right to Peace organisation since he went public with his own experiences in 1999. He and his siblings were taken into care following the death of their mother. Mr OBrien, who was just eight-years-old at the time, was raped within days of his arrival and endured sustained physical and sexual abuse throughout his time there. "All that I did to deserve it was that my mother died. Where was the state that put me in there, that was supposed to cherish children?" he said. "I still hurt badly. I cry at times and I have bad dreams. But I have to live. I have a family to look after. I have four children, 11 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren and I love every one of them. They are my sunshine. They keep me going."

He criticised church leaders for failing to back victims even after the Child Abuse Commission was set up 10 years ago. "Before then I was scared out of my living daylights to mention sexual abuse, scared what the people of Ireland would say to me. I was afraid of becoming a leper. And I did become a leper to some people. Not one priest came to my door in the last 10 years."

Mr OBrien is a member of the Education Finance Board which provides funding to victims and their families to pursue educational, training and personal development courses in recognition of the fact that most former residents received little education and their offspring often suffered as a result. He urged more people to make use of the €12.7m fund available to the board and called on the religious orders to provide further finance to ensure its work is continued.

Mr OBrien said while he was still a Fianna Fáil supporter, his loyalty to the party was stretched by the Governments failure to date to bring the religious orders to heel. "They need to lead by example. If they would even restore the Christmas bonus to the pensioners many of whom are former residents it would show some of the humanity were looking for from the religious orders." Mr OBrien can be contacted at Right to Peace, 42 Oliver Plunkett Terrace, Clonmel, Co Tipperary, phone 052-81614. The Education Finance Board can be contacted at Floor 3, Frederick Court, 24/27 North Frederick Street, Dublin 1, phone 1890-742742 or www.educationfinanceboard.com.

Category: Nonprofits & Activism

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Michael O'Brien Ferryhouse abuse Ryan Report

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zimnaya (3 months ago) Show Hide

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Michael, I went to a Catholic Boarding School in England and we were beaten by the priests. I had a friend who used to pass out before the Latin class because he was so terrified of the priest who taught us. Six years of hell, but not as bad your sufferings. My heart goes out to you. God bless you.

kimble5555 (3 months ago) Show Hide

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Your dead right Michael..they were all bastards...your a hero...person of the year

PressPlay2Go (3 months ago) Show Hide

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This abuse sage should be a salutary lesson for the powers-that-be at the moment. The people the Religious Orders had the most contempt for, were the very people who brought them to their knees. They bestrode the landscape of Ireland - dominating all. Tyrannies end though.

butleranthony (4 months ago) Show Hide

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One answer is for all these groups to get together and scream ..

"HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSE !"

Do it now while the eyes and ears of Europe are upon us prior to the Lisbon Treaty charade.

Embarrass the Irish Church and State and show them up for what they are !!

mrdogwalker2009 (4 months ago) Show Hide

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if enough people found the guts,& bravery like this man then this nation will become a better place for our kids.get this man 2 run 4 next president.

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Michael OBrien Interview

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