‘We cared for the Sisters, they did not care for us’

GIRLS living under the care of Sisters lived mainly in large unheated buildings with communal dormitories and poor hygiene facilities, according to the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse report.

There was little time for recreation and the children were largely isolated from the outside world, including their family. Prior to the 1970s, their lives followed a routine with an early morning bell call for Mass, followed by breakfast in the refectory.

Types of clothing varied according to school, and often came from a stock of donated, second-hand items.