When Majella Moynihan bravely told her story, of how she, as a guard, was mistreated and bullied shamelessly by An Garda Síochána just half a lifetime ago because she became pregnant while single, she reopened the Pandora’s box where so many of the secret histories of how Irish life was so very dark, so very cruel, are hidden away.

Hearing that a woman is about to take her husband’s name after marriage is a revelation guaranteed to get my back up. Just what era are we living in, I wonder to myself at such times. What signal does this send out across the genders except to denote a form of handing over of ownership of a key part of your identity?

The family of former garda commissioner Larry Wren has denied that he would have allowed the Archbishop of Dublin to dictate garda policy.

The Mother and Baby Home Commission of Investigation may be seeking evidence for the allegation that unmarried motherhood was considered akin to a criminal act.

So that’s Wednesday nearly wrapped up. Here’s some of the stories we published on irishexaminer.com today which we hope will help you make sense of it all this evening.

Gerard Howlin The deeply moving case of Majella Moynihan, predictably channelled public anger towards a “them”, but away from us. This is a recurring phenomenon as searing stories of our past — often an uncomfortably recent one — emerge. It legitimises a false narrative. It perpetuates a sense of powerlessness then, the better to whitewash responsibility now.

Majella Moynihan was forced to give her child up for adoption after she had sex out of marriage in 1984. She was not the only ‘fallen’ woman shabbily treated by the State, says Linda Connolly

Majella Moynihan told her story this week and joins the likes of Ann Lovett, Joanne Hayes, and Eileen Flynn as women who were failed by the State, writes Dan Buckley

Garda commissioner Drew Harris has asked to meet Majella Moynihan this week to make a personal apology.

A former garda, who was threatened with dismissal from the force after becoming pregnant with a fellow garda recruit in the 1980s, attempted to take her own life five times following her ordeal.

We cannot, it seems, escape our sordid, ultra-judgemental past.

So that’s nearly Monday wrapped up. Here’s some of the stories we published on irishexaminer.com today which we hope will help you make sense of it all this evening.

Why does An Garda Síochána appear so careless when it comes to retaining records that might reflect badly on the force?

Fianna Fáil’s justice spokesperson Jim O’Callaghan has said that the Government should immediately move to grant Majella Moynihan a full pension backdated to when she left the force in 1998.

A former Garda who became pregnant ‘out of wedlock’ by another member of the force in 1984 spoke about the "horrific abuse" she suffered.

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris is to deliver a personal apology to Majella Moynihan, who was threatened with dismissal from An Garda Síochana for having pre-marital sex with another garda recruit and for giving birth to a baby out of wedlock.

A woman who says she was forced to give up her child for adoption after becoming pregnant out of wedlock in the 1980s has spoken out about her experience for the first time.