St Joseph's Industrial School was an industrial school for young boys in

Letterfrack Letterfrack or Letterfrac () is a small village in the Connemara area of County Galway, Ireland. It was founded by Quakers in the mid-19th century. The village is south-east of Renvyle peninsula and north-east of Clifden on Barnaderg Bay and li ...

County Galway County Galway ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Northern and Western Region, taking up the south of the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht. The county population was 276,451 at the 20 ...

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

. The school was built in 1886/7 after the designs of the architect

William Hague William Jefferson Hague, Baron Hague of Richmond (born 26 March 1961) is a British politician and life peer who was Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from 1997 to 2001 and Deputy Leader from 2005 to 2010. He was th ...

, opened in 1887, and run by the

Congregation of Christian Brothers The Congregation of Christian Brothers (; abbreviated CFC) is a worldwide religious community within the Catholic Church, founded by Edmund Ignatius Rice, Edmund Rice. Their first school opened in Waterford, Ireland in 1802. At the time of its ...

. St Joseph's received a lasting notoriety through revelation of physical and sexual abuse of the boys by some of the Brothers there, with evidence of sexual abuse and extreme physical punishments going back to the 1930s. According to the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, between the years 1940 to 1970 15 children died there while in the care of the Christian Brothers, from causes including tuberculosis. Brother David Gibson, provincial of the Irish Christian Brothers' northern province, which includes Letterfrack, said that following a more thorough investigation of their files it was now established that 100 boys had died at the school during the 86-year period.Chapter 8, Letterfrack Industrial School ('Letterfrack'), 1885-1974
, Report of the

Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse The Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (CICA) was one of a range of measures introduced by the Irish Government to investigate the extent and effects of abuse on children from 1936 onwards. Commencing its work in 1999, it was commonly known ...

The school was closed in 1974.

History

Origins

A wealthy

Quaker Quakers are people who belong to the Religious Society of Friends, a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations. Members refer to each other as Friends after in the Bible, and originally, others referred to them as Quakers ...

couple, James and Mary Ellis, moved to Letterfrack in 1849 from the north of England, bought a large tract of land, developed it, built a residence and also a school for local children.Chapter 8, Letterfrack Industrial School ('Letterfrack'), 1885-1974
, Section 8.01, Report of the

After the Ellises left, the school was run by Protestant

Irish Church Missions The Irish Church Missions (ICM) is a conservative and semi-autonomous Anglican mission. It was founded in 1849 as The Irish Church Missions to the Roman Catholics chiefly by English Anglicans though with the backing and support of Church of Irelan ...

to Roman Catholics. The ICM's continued up until 1882. The Catholic

Archbishop of Tuam The Archbishop of Tuam ( ; ) is an Episcopal polity, archbishop which takes its name after the town of Tuam in County Galway, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The title was used by the Church of Ireland until 1839, and is still in use by the Cathol ...

, Dr

John McEvilly John McEvilly (1818–1902) was an Irish Roman Catholic Church clergyman who served as the Archbishop of Tuam from 1881 to 1902. He was born on 15 April 1818 in Louisburgh, a small town near Westport, County Mayo, Ireland., ''The Episcopal Su ...

bought the property in 1884.Quaker legacy remembered in Letterfrack

The Irish Times ''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It was launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is Ireland's leading n ...

, 7 July 2000

Opening

The Archbishop wrote to the

Lord Lieutenant A lord-lieutenant ( ) is the British monarch's personal representative in each lieutenancy area of the United Kingdom. Historically, each lieutenant was responsible for organising the county's militia. In 1871, the lieutenant's responsibility ov ...

of Ireland, Earl Spencer suggesting that the property was 'admirably suited for a boys’ industrial school so sadly needed in that district'.Chapter 8, Letterfrack Industrial School ('Letterfrack'), 1885-1974
, Section 8.02, Report of the

However, the Lord Lieutenants' advisors were against the establishment of the school on the grounds that there was unlikely to be enough children requiring such an institution in the area and the existing schools were adequate for the educational needs of the area.Chapter 8, Letterfrack Industrial School ('Letterfrack'), 1885-1974
, Sections 8.03-8.04, Report of the

Despite support from the Inspector of Industrial Schools, Sir Arthur Lentaigne the application was refused.Chapter 8, Letterfrack Industrial School ('Letterfrack'), 1885-1974
, Sections 8.05-8.06, Report of the

The Archbishop continued to lobby the Lord Lieutenant and the school received support from the Lord Lieutenant in August 1885.Chapter 8, Letterfrack Industrial School ('Letterfrack'), 1885-1974
, Section 8.06, Report of the

The school was initially certified for 75 boys and the Archbishop entered into negotiations with the Christian Brothers.Chapter 8, Letterfrack Industrial School ('Letterfrack'), 1885-1974
, Sections 8.07-8.10, Report of the

The Christian Brothers agreed and after building work added to the property, the schools opened on 12 October 1887.

Running of school

A revised certificate doubling the number of boys the school could care for was issued in April 1889 and in November 1912, the accommodation limit was increased to 190.Chapter 8, Letterfrack Industrial School ('Letterfrack'), 1885-1974
, Sections 8.11 and 8.15, Report of the

The physical isolation of Letterfrack and the distances from their families increased the isolation of boys there - the surrounding area didn't supply the number of children required and many were from

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

and

Leinster Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland. The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...

.Chapter 8, Letterfrack Industrial School ('Letterfrack'), 1885-1974
, Section 8.19, Report of the

Chapter 8, Letterfrack Industrial School ('Letterfrack'), 1885-1974
, Section 8.30, Report of the

The isolation was also a factor in institutionalisation and the fact that those who abused could remain undetected for so long.Chapter 8, Letterfrack Industrial School ('Letterfrack'), 1885-1974
, Section 8.20, Report of the

In total 2,819 boys went through Letterfrack between 1887 and 1974.Chapter 8, Letterfrack Industrial School ('Letterfrack'), 1885-1974
, Section 8.21, Report of the

The remote location of the school was a factor in its closing.Chapter 8, Letterfrack Industrial School ('Letterfrack'), 1885-1974
, Section 8.45, Report of the

Until 1954, there were three classes of boy at Letterfrack:Chapter 8, Letterfrack Industrial School ('Letterfrack'), 1885-1974
, Section 8.27, Report of the

#Those who were homeless, without proper guardianship, destitute, in breach of the School Attendance Act or guilty of criminal offences. #Those sent by the Local Authorities pursuant to the Public Assistance Act 1939. #Those who were voluntarily admitted by parents or guardians.

Carriglea pupils sent to Letterfrack

In 1954 the Christian Brothers decided to close one of their schools and chose

Carriglea Park Carriglea Park was an industrial school in Dún Laoghaire, Ireland.Dún Laoghaire Dún Laoghaire ( , ) is a suburban coastal town in County Dublin in Ireland. It is the administrative centre of the county of Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown. The town was built up alongside a small existing settlement following 1816 legislation th ...

. They separated out 'juvenile delinquents' and sent them to Letterfrack industrial school.Chapter 8, Letterfrack Industrial School ('Letterfrack'), 1885-1974
, Section 8.28, Report of the

Conclusions of the Ryan Report

Physical abuse

The report concluded that corporal punishment in Letterfrack was "severe, excessive and pervasive, and created a climate of fear", that it "was the primary method of control" and that unavoidable because "it was frequently capricious, unfair and inconsistent".Chapter 8, Letterfrack Industrial School ('Letterfrack'), 1885-1974
, Section 8.264, Conclusions on physical abuse, Report of the

There was no punishment book kept and the Department of Education was found to be at fault for not ensuring that one was maintained.

Sexual abuse

Sexual abuse "by Brothers was a chronic problem in Letterfrack" and that those members of the order who served there "included firstly those who had previously been guilty of sexual abuse of boys, secondly those whose abuse was discovered while they worked in that institution and, thirdly some who were subsequently revealed to have abused boys".Chapter 8, Letterfrack Industrial School ('Letterfrack'), 1885-1974
, Section 8.461, Conclusions on sexual abuse, Report of the

The Christian Brothers "did not properly investigate allegations of sexual abuse of boys by Brothers" and "knew that Brothers who sexually abused boys were a continuing danger". Sending known abusers to any industrial school was "an act of reckless disregard" especially "one as remote and isolated as Letterfrack". The handling of members of the order who committed abuse suggested "a policy of protecting the Brothers, the Community and the Congregation at the expense of the victims". Abuse by peers was "an element of the bullying and intimidation that were prevalent in Letterfrack and the Brothers failed to recognise it as a persistent problem".Chapter 8, Letterfrack Industrial School ('Letterfrack'), 1885-1974
, Section 8.476, Report of the

Lack of understanding on behalf of the order of the nature of abuse committed by peers combined with fear of punishment meant that some victims didn't report such abuse at the time.

Neglect

Boys at Letterfrack "were unprotected in a hostile environment isolated from their families", they "left Letterfrack with little education and no adequate training".Chapter 8, Letterfrack Industrial School ('Letterfrack'), 1885-1974
, Section 8.740, General Conclusions, Emotional/Neglect, Conclusions on sexual abuse, Report of the

They needed extra support to bring them up to standard "but instead they got poor teachers and bad conditions".

Former residents

*Thomas Dempsey — grandfather of

Damien Dempsey Damien Dempsey (born 9 June 1975) is an Irish singer and songwriter who mixes traditional Irish folk contemporary lyrics that deliver social and political commentaries on Irish society. Damien sings in his native, working-class accent in the Eng ...

. He spent four years in the institution, which he compared to

Auschwitz Auschwitz, or Oświęcim, was a complex of over 40 concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) during World War II and the Holocaust. It consisted of Auschw ...

. *

Mannix Flynn Gerard Mannix Flynn (born 4 May 1957) is an Irish Independent politician who has served as a Dublin City Councillor since May 2009.Peter Tyrrell Peter Tyrrell (1916 – 26 April 1967) was an Irish author and former inmate of St Joseph's Industrial School, Letterfrack, an institution run by the Christian Brothers.

— he told

Owen Sheehy-Skeffington Owen Lancelot Sheehy-Skeffington (19 May 1909 – 7 June 1970) was an Irish university lecturer and senator. The son of pacifists, feminists and socialists Francis and Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington, he was politically likeminded and as a member of th ...

about the abuse perpetrated in Letterfrack industrial school and wrote a book about Letterfrack that was published posthumously.

Fintan O'Toole Fintan O'Toole (born 16 February 1958) is an Irish journalist, literary editor, and drama critic for ''The Irish Times'', for which he has written since 1988. He was drama critic for the ''New York Daily News'' from 1997 to 2001 and is Advisin ...

Law of anarchy, cruelty of care
''

'', 23 May 2009; retrieved 26 May 2009 Tyrell committed suicide in London by setting fire to himself.Dermot Bolge
Disturbing memoir of Christian Brothers deserves our attention

The Sunday Business Post The ''Business Post'' (formerly ''The Sunday Business Post'') is a Sunday newspaper distributed nationally in Ireland and an online publication. It is focused mainly on business and financial issues in Ireland. Founding to Irish financial crisi ...

, 26 November 2006; retrieved 7 July 2009

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Joseph's Industrial School, Letterfrack Boys' schools in the Republic of Ireland Defunct Catholic schools in Ireland Defunct schools in the Republic of Ireland Educational institutions disestablished in 1974 History of County Galway Industrial schools in the Republic of Ireland Schools in County Galway Violence against men in Europe Youth detention centers