MARIE O’HALLORAN
A CALL has been made for the reopening of an investigation into former nun Nora Wall, resident manager in the 1980s of St Michael’s Child Care Centre in Cappoquin, Co Waterford.
Fine Gael justice spokesman Charlie Flanagan said she “exposed the children in her care to unacceptable risks by allowing male outsiders to stay overnight at the Cappoquin care home centre in Waterford”.
He said: “It has been suggested that there were frequent visits to the Cappoquin home by some clergy from Mount Melleray Abbey. Access to children may have been a key motivation for these visits.
“We must bear in mind that that very abbey, Mount Melleray, was selected by the notorious paedophile Fr Brendan Smyth as a holiday destination or a haven to escape when he was on the run from the authorities in Northern Ireland. This issue needs to be revisited.”
Mr Flanagan was speaking during the second night of the Dáil debate on the Labour party Private Members’ Institutional Child Abuse Bill which provides that no abuse victim should be denied justice through the redress board.
The Bill also removes any record for children incarcerated in reformatory schools by criminal conviction.
It was rejected by the Government but the Labour Party did not call a vote last night on the Bill.
Minister of State Barry Andrews said the Bill contained a number of good measures and there was some valid criticism of the speed with which the indemnity deal was concluded.
The Fine Gael spokesman also said “there are issues in relation to the charging and release of Nora Wall that need to be revisited by way of investigation”.
“And it is a matter of some concern that reports about interference with witnesses and attempts to buy their silence have been made,” he added.
“I believe this particular aspect needs to be fully investigated because any secret payments made by religious institutions to individuals need to be fully probed and examined.”
Deputy Flanagan also called for the Education Finance Board, which has a budget of €12.7 million, to appear before the Public Accounts Committee.
“The board administers a very large budget. Concerns have been brought to my attention in respect of what some considered to be rather ad hoc and casual approach to awarding money.”
Ms Wall had a conviction in 1999 for the rape of a 12-year-old girl in her care declared a miscarriage of justice.
Mr Flanagan said the Ryan commission report into child abuse described her management of children in her care as “alarming”, “disastrous” “inappropriate and dangerous”.
He said: “One particularly worrying aspect of the Ryan report refers to an incident where a resident of the home with an intellectual disability was sexually assaulted by a colleague in a hotel where he worked part-time. The parents of the boy went to the gardaí.
“They confronted the abuser, who admitted the abuse. The boy later told the house parent that he did not want to pursue the matter. It was later noted that the boy had a new radio.
“He told her that Nora Wall had given him a new radio and a new bicycle. This is quite a sinister revelation that needs to be probed further.”
Mr Flanagan referred to the alleged involvement of a senior departmental official in a Dublin-based child sex ring “at a time he was supposed to have been investigating child abuse”.
“That individual had investigated the home run by Nora Wall and given it a clean bill of health at a time when there were serious problems at the home as now identified in the Ryan report,” Mr Flanagan said.
The Irish Times 9th July 2009
Yes it should go up … and it boggles my mind that she hasn’t been asked to ‘help the police’ with their enquiries.
Andrew. Perhaps I should put Charles Flanagan’s full speech up for all to see. What do you say to that?
Not sure if you’ve read this Paddy:
WAIT for it:
Florence Horsman Hogan – i’m here to protect Nora Wall
http://www.alliancesupport.org/news/archives/003040.html
Louise, I remember you well and will of course write. Thanks for making contact.
Paddy, I saw you on TV last night. Do you remember when you and Tommy Lavin came to visit our flat in Sandymount? I was a student nurse in Cappagh, my maiden name was Louise Mc Dowell, and you and Tommy and Philip Casey were there and you came home to my house in Leeson Street before I got married to Paul Farrell. It is so long ago and it is lovely to see you with the same cheeky grin. Do get in touch with me. I’m living in Kerry now but I come to Dublin often. Very best wishes to you, Louise Farrell
Her case reeked toxic fumes to high heaven 10 years ago, as does the present-day denial of the whole situation. As regards Saint Micheal’s Industrial School, Cappoquin, people would do well to read your book again Paddy.
The truth will all come to light bit by bit, because people will no longer be able to contain it.
As children, we knew and so did others, adults included that elite men had access to any Disposable Child they wanted.
We have to learn the attitude of the elite to children- cattle to be bought and sold.
It took me years to get my head around this way of thinking, until I had it explained to me how they need to feed off energy of innocent children in order for them to survive.
Alex Jones rant 2009 explains it perfectly.
Needless to say this woman has defenders out there. They used her case, of wrongful conviction after a dubious mix-up at the trial, to berate, belittle and damn ex-detainees. After Ryan though most of these voices are muted and careful reading regarding Cappoquin is recommended.
Now we have her mentioned in the same sentence as the grotesque and evil Fr. Brendan Smyth – why am I not surprised!
I had what can only be described as the misfortune to have been sentenced to be detained in Cappoquin Industrial School. I didn’t know Nora Wall but did come to know here in later my later life. I’ve written about my time in Cappoquin in “The God Squad”. To say anything else here would really be futile.