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A light has been shone into the dark corners of both our past and present and these victims have performed an immense service in challenging our collective complacency. They have shown us that we cannot put the past behind us by ignoring it.
We must confront it and learn its lessons. That is the least we can do to address the injustice of the past and the dangers of the present.
— An Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, 11 May 1999
From 1992, when Christine Buckley first spoke out about the plight of Survivors on RTE’s Gay Byrne radio programme RTE, she campaigned for Survivors until her death in 2014.
Initially this campaign included assisting Survivors from her home as well as a range of media activity including The Dear Daughter TV programme broadcast in 1996.
Soon after the Dear Daughter programme she and a group of volunteers including fellow Survivor Carmel McDonnell-Byrne organised a social meeting known as One Happy Day in the RDS, Dublin. It was attended by hundreds of Survivors and was supported by several well-known entertainers who gave their time and talents for free to the benefit of Survivors. This was the first time in decades that some of those Survivors and indeed a few siblings, who had been together in industrial schools had ever met each other. For many of them it was much more than One happy day.
The campaign for justice and counselling gathered momentum. Key tenets of that campaign were justice for Survivors as well as counselling and a platform in which all Survivors could tell their stories.
TV Producer Louis Lentin also broadcast other Survivors’ stories on TV3.
In 1999 extensive research by Dr Eoin O’Sullivan and TV producer Mary Rafferty was published in their book Suffer Little Children and their TV documentary States of Fear. They provided very strong evidence from Government and religious order records as well as the accounts of Survivors about the scale of exploitation, neglect and cruelty imposed on the children in industrial schools.
Subsequently that year the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern issued his apology to Survivors and he and then Minister for Health Micheál Martin, announced a range of measures to assist Survivors. The measures included The Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse which examined the testimony of Survivors and the religious orders which vindicated the Survivors’ campaign.
The Government also established the Educational Fund to fund education and training for Survivors and their families. It also established the Residential Institutions Redress Board which provided financial redress for thousands of Survivors and The National Counselling Service (NCS),
The Government also provided Buckley and McDonnell-Byrne with funding and assistance in establishing the Aislinn Centre for Education and Support for Survivors of Institutional Abuse, Initially it was located at Ormond House, Ormond Quay Upper, Dublin 7 but subsequently moved to Jervis House in Jervis St and after Buckley’s death it was renamed Christine Buckley Centre for Education and Support.
The Centre assisted survivors in their submissions to all the bodies established by the Government as well as to other government and non-government agencies.
In the year 2000 negotiations with the late Minster Séamus Brennan led to the dedication from The Millennium Committee on behalf of survivors of institutional abuse of Memorial Benches. These were installed in forests in each of the four provinces. A group of 30 Aislinn survivors attended one of these dedication ceremonies at a Grove of Reflection, The People’s Memorial Forests, Ballygannon Wood outside Rathdrum, Co. Wicklow. The other three are located in Tourmakeady Wood, Co. Mayo; Derrygorry, Co. Monaghan and Glengarra, Cahir, Co Tipperary.
Dear Daughter
Dear Daughter produced by Louis Lentin in 1996 was the first televised exposure of the horrific abuse of hundreds of children in Ireland’s industrial schools. In the documentary Christine Buckley recounts the atrocities she experienced as a child in Dublin’s Goldenbridge orphanage.
Christine Buckley Centre Achievements
1999
With the support of the Taoiseach and then Minister for Health Micheál Martin, our centre, then called the Aislinn Centre for Education and Support for Survivors of Institutional Abuse, was established at Ormond House, Ormond Quay Upper, Dublin 7.
2000
Negotiations with the late Minster Séamus Brennan led to dedication from The Millennium Committee on behalf of survivors of institutional abuse. Memorial benches were installed in forests in each of the four provinces. A group of 30 Aislinn Survivors attended one of these dedication ceremonies at a Grove of Reflection, The People’s Memorial Forests, Ballygannon Wood outside Rathdrum, Co. Wicklow. The other three are located in Tourmakeady Wood, Co. Mayo; Derrygorry, Co. Monaghan and Glengarra, Cahir, Co Tipperary.
2001
2001 – In recognition of the need for Survivors to have their true stories heard or to give voice to their creative powers, a selection of the works of 58 Survivors who attended the creative writing classes in our Centre was compiled in a book called Aislinn Stories
The Aislinn Stories book was launched by the then Taoiseach Mr. Bertie Ahern T.D
2002
2002 – Many children who were incarcerated in institutions received relatively little formal education thus consequently many Survivors were illiterate or had attained only low levels of literacy or numeracy.
Our classes helped to address these deficiencies. To give recognition to their achievements C.D.V.E.C., (now the C.D.E.T.B.), provided some part-time tutors to our Centre. As a result, Survivors attained formal recognition of their progress.
In this year the first group of attendees received F.E.T.A.C. further education awards following their studies at Aislinn classes. The awards were presented by the then Minister for Education Dr. Michael Woods. This was followed by a culinary menu, prepared well by Survivors.
2003
Exhibition of art works by Survivors undertaken at their Aislinn classes. The exhibition was opened by the well-known artist the late Felim Egan.
2005
Further Education F.E.T.A.C. Awards presented to 35 clients.
Aislinn Centre moved to new office premises at Jervis House, Dublin 1.
One Survivor attained full-time employment for the first time at the age of 53 with the Post Office. This person had attempted the Post Office Exams unsuccessfully for a number of years. With the support of our tutors and team, he finally succeeded.
Three Survivors accepted on UCD’s Access Higher Education programmes.
2006
Christine Buckley was appointed to volunteer on the Education Finance Board established by Government to advise on provision of funding for Survivors and their families wishing to undertake other education and training courses not available under the free education system.
Featuring Survivors/ participants in our drama classes, the play ‘Tears of a Clown’ was performed at Andrews Lane Theatre and was opened by John O’Donoghue, then Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism. Glenn Gannon, a Survivor and participant in our Centre’s drama classes wrote and played the lead in the play. Glenn subsequently went on to become an actor and writer and his works include his life story Miracle Man.
Mountjoy Prison Governor John Lonergan invited the cast of Survivors, of Aislinn Centre’s drama class, to perform in Mountjoy prison. Glenn has made many strives since attending Aislinn in 2002. He was homeless then but through support and counselling he has reclaimed his life. He has carved out a career as an actor in a number of TV features and films and published his life story Miracle Man – from Homeless to Hollywood – a memoir.
Survivors representing our Centre have also been appointed to volunteer on the board of Connect which provides a telephone counselling service to survivors.
One Survivor won one of the community creative writers awards at Dublin City University.
2007
This was another positive year for our Centre’s Survivors/ attendees:
One Survivor passed Leaving Certificate examinations with an honour in Geography
One Survivor passed Junior Certificate
Three Survivors commenced counselling courses
A number of Survivors passed ECDL
One second Survivor won an award at DCU
One Survivor commenced an Arts Degree in Trinity College Dublin
Another Survivor passed the Microsoft Office User Specialist course
2008
One of our centre’s attendees/ Survivors went on to graduate with honours from University College Dublin
One Survivor received poetry award at D.C.U. and took part in the summer community creative writing workshops there
One Survivor sat the Leaving Certificate examinations and attained honours in French
One Survivor was accepted into Trinity’s Access Higher Education Programme (TAP)
2009
One Survivor accepted into the College of Art. This Survivor was a former inmate in a prison and had attended Aislinn as part of his probation release programme. It was in the Centre that his talent was recognised, nurtured and with the support of Pathways this person has succeeded in realising his dreams. (Pathways is an outreach initiative of the CDETB's Education Service to Prisons and is funded by the European Social Fund).
The former Taoiseach Mr. Bertie Ahern presented 116 Certificates, which included F.E.T.A.C. Certificates and special Certificates for those still endeavoring with their further education.
Two Survivors were accepted on the Advanced Computer course at the Liberties College.
One Survivor offered a place on the Drama Degree course at The National University of Ireland (N.U.I).
In May, the publication of the Ryan Report vindicates volunteer work of our Centre’s founders. This report found that ‘The system of large-scale institutions operated by Roman Catholic religious orders that owned and managed the schools. led to the institutional abuse of children and developmental, emotional and educational needs of many of these children were not addressed.
In response to its publication in June 2009, thousands of Survivors and supporters attended a silent peaceful demonstration March of Solidarity organised by Bette Browne and our Centre with the support of Barnardo’s, One-In-Four counselling (Irish Charity Supporting adult Survivors of childhood sexual abuse), Children's Rights Alliance and the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre.
In response to a request for presidential recognition of Survivors then President Mary McAleese hosted a day of Solidarity in Áras An Uachtaráin, with special guests, performers and singers-songwriters. Many Survivors and their relatives were invited to attend. President Michael D. Higgins has since also hosted various Survivors’ groups including the attendees, participants and volunteers of the Centre at various garden parties in the Phoenix park.
In 2009, Christine Buckley was awarded one of The People of The Year Awards in September. In November, Christine won the overall National Ireland Involved Award. In December, Christine won the European Volunteer of the Year Award in Strasbourg for her voluntary work for Survivors of institutional abuse.
2010
One Survivor passed Diploma in Web Design and subsequently went on to teach some computer classes.
2012
In December, Dublin University (Trinity College) honoured Christine Buckley by conferring her with an Honorary Doctorate of Laws.
2014
Stolen Lives, a book about the lives of 10 Survivors (5 men and 5 women, mostly clients at our Centre) was published by journalist and author Bette Browne.
A copy of this book is available at National Folklore Collection, UCD.
Our Centre developed some services to assist Survivors in accessing the supports available through Caranua for health, education and housing.
One of our founders, Carmel McDonnell-Byrne, was honoured for her dedication at the Better Together Awards and also Volunteer Ireland Awards.
2015
Carmel McDonnell-Byrne received the Charity Hero Award at the Better Together Awards/ National Charity Impact Awards.
2016
Aislinn singers “Christine’s Dream” song and video won best charity impact video / campaigning and awareness-raising video for Better Together Awards / National Charity Impact Awards.
Our Centre hosted a series of meetings between Survivors and Caranua.
2018
In a collaboration between the Christine Buckley Centre, The National Folklore Collection and UCD Archives Library, an oral history project called Survivors’ Stories was established in UCD. Industrial Memories, a UCD digital humanities witnessing project, takes a closer look at Ireland’s legacy of institutional child abuse following the Report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Ryan Report) 2009. The project is a collaboration of the School of English, Drama and Film and the UCD Insight Centre, funded by the Irish Research Council.
If you have been affected in any way by the subject matter of this project and would like to seek support contact Connect Counselling or One in Four Counselling for expert help.
2019
To mark the 20th Anniversary of the Taoiseach’s apology, and also the 10th anniversary of the publication of the Ryan Report, our founder Carmel McDonnell-Byrne led the organisation of a conference in Trinity College Dublin which outlined the future on-going needs of Survivors and how these should be addressed. There was also a celebration of Survivors’ songs at St. Patrick’s Cathedral by the Survivors’ choir, which was organised by Terri Harrison in bringing together special guests and singers-songwriters, for Survivors, their relatives and invited guests after the conference at TCD.
President Michael D Higgins also marked the occasion by inviting Survivors from our Centre to Aras an Uachtarain.
To showcase and celebrate the art-works created those attending our art classes, Terri Harrison organised Our Survivors Art exhibition: “Our Living Bereavement”, including artistic, various oral and musical performances were held in the County Library in Tallaght in October, and also at The In-spire Galerie, in Dublin City Centre, in November 2019.