227 entries for Church Inspections

The early Visitation Reports from the 1940s were very critical of the lack of hygiene in the School.

A similar theme pervaded the Visitation Reports of the 1940s, and the shocking state of the Institution was referred to again and again.

The 1944 Visitation Report noted the shabby state of the boys’ refectory and dilapidated condition of the outbuildings.

Despite the improvements introduced at the end of the 1940s, the Visitation Report for 1950 was still critical of the conditions for the boys and the Brothers. The Visitor observed that there was little in the way of recreation for the boys and that ‘life is rather drab here for boys and Brothers. The boys can have little healthy to talk about’. He noted that the schoolyard was in a deplorable condition, the concrete being badly broken. He suggested the introduction of two young Brothers to the Community to inject some life into the Institution.

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.

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.

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.

The remainder of the Visitation Reports for the 1970s noted the changing face of the School. A group home-style system was put in place and female staff hired. The type of boy resident in the School also subtly changed over time so that, by the late 1970s, it mainly provided shelter for boys from broken homes who had emotional or psychological needs.

The impact of this professional approach to the work in Salthill was reflected in the 1974 Visitation Report, which was entirely different in tone from those that had preceded it. In particular, the Visitor noted the effect of Br Burcet’s arrival: His [Br Burcet’s] coming to St Joseph’s last August has been a tremendous boon and blessing. He is the Manager’s guide, philosopher and friend in creating an improved atmosphere of care and relationship between the children and the Brothers. His Kilkenny Course in Child Care has brought a new dimension and an added empathy to his work and, slowly but surely, the communication barriers are being removed, the children are becoming much more friendly, open and amenable and are relating much better with one another and with the staff.

However, the 1943 Visitation Report was critical of the standard of education in the higher classes. The Visitor found that the boys in 3rd, 4th and 5th standards were ‘quite unable to read the lessons in our Readers which are in use’ and he cautioned that ‘if proper steps are not taken some of these boys may leave the school in a semi-illiterate condition’.

During the Visitation of March 1961, the Principal pointed out that on average, one-third of boys in each class were below the normal standard and said that the majority of boys who fell into this category came from County Homes. The Visitor noted that the Brothers had still not succeeded in getting rid of the teacher in charge of the younger boys..

The Submissions did not comment on the very different assessments in their own Visitation Reports. It is to the credit of the Congregation that their inspection system gave rise to such candid appraisals. These reports by senior members of the Congregation, which were compiled for internal use, cannot be ignored. Where they conflict with more neutral Department observations, they are to be preferred in point of accuracy and specificity.

The 1943 Visitation Report was scathing. The Visitor criticised most aspects of the Institution and, in particular, the filth of the School. He concluded that, should a Department Inspector conduct an unannounced visit to the School, their report would surely be damning. Dr McCabe did inspect the School three months later but the Brothers had little to fear. Her report was not in any way as critical as the Visitation Report for the same year.

In 1967, a thorough and critical Report was written following the Visitation. The Visitor stated that he did not agree with the writer of the previous year’s Report that the Brothers were doing a good job in Salthill. In short, he believed that Salthill was unsuitable, particularly for the older boys. He felt that a more personalised and childcare-focused approach should be adopted and was critical of the fact that little was known by the staff of the individual backgrounds of the boys. He remarked that, should an outside authority inspect the School, the Brothers might not be happy with the contents of any consequential report. However, less than a year previously, Dr Lysaght had conducted an in-depth inspection of the School on behalf of the Department, which was complimentary of all aspects of the School. This demonstrates a different focus by the Department in their reporting procedure.