Chapter 12 — Salthill

Neglect and emotional abuse

The Visitation Report for 1950 stated that ‘a wave of immorality’ had been discovered, which was dealt with by means of a four-day retreat for the boys.

In 1951, the Visitor drew attention to the unsuitability of the boys’ dormitories. They were housed in two reconstructed old mills and were badly ventilated. He did not notice any improvement the following year: ‘Conditions are just tolerable but no effort is made to put the touch of finality on either cleanliness or good order’. Tailoring and shoemaking were the only trades catered for in the School, and he recommended that a carpenter’s shop be opened.

Dr McCabe conducted an Inspection of the School in June 1953 and, while she accepted that the School was well run, she noted that many improvements were required. She suggested a new washing machine and colander for the laundry.

In March 1954, the Visitor observed some improvements in the appearance of the premises. He criticised the boys’ kitchen with its out-dated cooking equipment and only one functioning boiler that provided for all of the needs of the School. The pantry was damp, covered in cobwebs, and unsuitable for the storage of food. He noted that the bread supplied by the in-house bakery was anything but appetising. In October of the same year, Dr McCabe reported that a newly appointed Resident Manager had plans for many improvements, including installation of a new kitchen unit, new sanitary annex with showers and a new heating system, as well as resurfacing the yard.

By the time of the Visitation in February 1956, many renovations and improvements had been made to the boys’ kitchen, bathrooms, dining hall, school rooms and workshops. New equipment was introduced to the kitchen and an immersion heater installed. Improvements were again acknowledged in the Report of 1957, particularly to the dormitories and kitchen.

The 1958 Visitation Report noted that hot water was now available in the dormitories and that the boys had baths every fortnight.

Major repair works took place during the early 1960s, which saw a new block constructed housing a dormitory and bathroom facilities. The primary school building was updated and new furniture purchased. A central heating system was installed.

Fr Henry Moore, who wrote a critical report on Artane in the early 1960, was complimentary about Salthill. He said that he had visited a number of industrial schools at that time, including Salthill. He knew the Manager in Salthill, as they had been raised in the same orphanage: Now, albeit it was a very small school in comparison to Artane, I was very impressed by his management and by the way he treated the boys. They looked very well, they were very well dressed and I was quite happy with my experience there ... I thought Salthill was more civilised and more happier.

A more critical approach was adopted by the Visitor in 1967, who noted: The boys here range from infants to young men at work in the town or attending the technical school. All perforce are treated alike – young and old. The same type of discipline is used from the time he enters the school until he leaves it. Older boys resent this. None of the men with the exception of the Superior has any special training for this work. This is acknowledged by the staff and lamented. Each child is a problem and requires special treatment – perhaps individual would be a better word than special – until he becomes stabilised.: The young Brothers know little or nothing about the previous history of their boys – there are no record cards available.

He thought that, once the boys reached the age of 12, they should be transferred to Artane. The Visitor did not agree with the writer of the previous year’s Visitation Report that the Brothers were doing a good job in Salthill. However, he did not blame the staff, as they were doing the best they could with the resources they had at their disposal. He criticised the frequent change in staff, as just when they had established a relationship with the boys, invariably they would be moved on. He added: Perhaps we put too much stress on academic training – lessons in hygiene in personal cleaniness – in care of clothes – in polishing of shoes – in using of laces in their shoes – in combing of hair of walking without slouching are all of great importance for these boys. I thought the boys were badly clad and untidy. If we were inspected by an outside authority we would not be pleased with the report ... We need two things for this school 1) more money 2) more trained staff. We need a few nuns more so than in Artane – the boys here seem more helpless.

Six years later, little seemed to have changed.

In 1973, the Visitor was extremely condemnatory of the School. He noted that the boys in Salthill were generally more disturbed than the boys in Letterfrack and that, by comparison, the School was understaffed. This was a disturbing comparison because Letterfrack was operated as a junior remand home for boys who had committed criminal offences. Both the age and the number of staff were concerns in this regard. He noted, ‘The lack of female assistance is apparent as well as the need for such evidenced by the way the boys flock around the assistant cook when she is cleaning around the home’.

He expressed concern at the fate of boys leaving the School: The traditional practice has been to place the boys in ‘digs’ when they become apprentices, but recently this has not worked out satisfactorily. For some reason, possibly because more disturbed boys are being admitted, they are not emotionally prepared for such independence and rather startling reactions have occurred when they have been so placed. Consequently more of them are remaining at the home and the problem of how to deal with them is becoming acute. For any boy, of course, to be sent into the world on his own with no family or friends at the age of 15 and with very little earning ability can be a shattering experience and perhaps the policy needs to be reconsidered.

The Brother noted the plan to instigate a group home system with the 50 boys in residence and welcomed this initiative. He was critical of the lack of recreational facilities available for the boys, watching TV being the main pastime.

He feared that ‘The present policy would seem to be to let [the School] run on (or perhaps run down) with a view to its ultimate demise’.