It Changes You!

Tonight at 9.35pm I will be taking part in an RTE 1 documentary on physical violence in Irish schools 'Leathered: Violence in Irish Schools'. I haven't seen it yet myself.

I had a dental appointment last month, it was a cold morning so the left side of my jaw was aching, as it has done when it's cold since 1978. Open wide the dentist asked, as I did so the left side of my jaw clicked loudly, a permanent reminder of the punch in the face then Headmaster Father McEvoy gave the 12 year old me in school.

The shadow of Father McEvoy's violence will always be with me, whether it's when I open my mouth wide to yawn, when somebody throws a set of keys down at a table that I'm sitting at, a face at the window, someone leaning over me while I was sitting down, the shrieking of excited kids in a confined space on a plane on the way to holidays, when my name is called in a queue at the doctors, all induce an automatic and uninvited flashback and a shot of anxiety crosses my stomach.

I was only one of many, many school children that this happened to. As little more than children we lived with a two tier system of legitimised violence, the random violent assaults of our school's Headmaster which could take place any where with no warning on the extensive school grounds and the scheduled beatings in his office  which were by appointment.

I shared my experience of physical abuse and my ongoing recovery in a post last year in the hope of helping others realise that it's never too late to avail of the help that's available

I would like to thank the President of St. Kieran's for his statement after the documentary - https://www.stkieranscollege.ie/college_news/statement-on-concerning-issues-raised-by-rte-leathered-programme/