A history of child abuse in Ireland

The mistreatment of children is not new in Ireland, writes Aileen Lee. In the 18th and 19th centuries they were kidnapped for use as beggars, robbed of their clothes, or sold as servants and transported to British colonies in America

THE last two decades have revealed a culture of abuse of children, by Church and State, in 20th-century Ireland. We are still coming to terms with that dark chapter of our history, as the survivors push for recognition and justice.

But this abuse is not new — the 18th and 19th centuries are replete with stories of Irish children who were kidnapped and trafficked out of the country.