'We are not afraid to die': Industrial school survivors vow to continue 32-day hunger strike

Hunger striker Mary Dunlevy Greene from Limerick on Kildare Street, Dublin. Pictures: Gareth Chaney

Four industrial school survivors who are on hunger strike outside the Dáil over what they claim are failed promises of supports from Government have vowed to carry on their campaign saying: “We are not afraid to die”.

Maurice Patton O’Connell, aged 57, from Caherciveen, Co Kerry, and Mary Donovan, originally from Kerry but living in Tipperary, are now 32 days without food and are surviving on water and coffee. They are joined in the hunger strike by Miriam Moriarty Owens and Mary Dunleavy Greene, who also spent time in industrial schools.

The four have set up a makeshift campsite close to the Dáil, where they are sleeping.

Medics have been monitoring their condition and have warned the group they are putting their lives in danger.

The four are refusing to eat over two demands they say were promised but have not been delivered as part of the industrial schools' redress scheme.

They claim they were promised a Health Amendment Act (HAA) card and a contributory pension — but neither has been delivered.

"The government has systematically failed the industrial school survivors," said Mr Patton O'Connell. "In 1999, Bertie Ahern gave us an apology and a lifelong commitment. That has been broken for over 26 years.

“We were left with no option [but to go on hunger strike], the Government was put on notice on July 1."

Maurice Patton O'Connell from Cahirciveen, Co Kerry: 'This is not just for four of us, this is for our survivors.'

Mr Patton O'Connell says he has lost three or four stone. "I am not afraid to die. I have the support of my partner and my children. Obviously, nobody wants this but here we are, and it will be the Government’s fault if this is not sorted out. I have made peace with the fact I could die. We are doing this for the 4,000 industrial survivors still alive."

The HAA card is given to individuals who contracted hepatitis C through contaminated blood or blood products in Ireland.

It provides access to a range of free public health services, including GP and public hospital services, prescribed medicines, and certain dental and optical services, home support services and is valid for life.

"We also want a contributory pension" said Mr Patton O'Connell. "A lot of survivors have not been able to work because of the abuse they suffered in industrial schools.

“This is not just for four of us, this is for our survivors. When the redress came, there was 15,000 survivors left, then Caranua [a fund for institutional abuse survivors] was next and there was 10,000. Most of them are dead,” said Ms Donovan. “My daughter is worried for me, but we are not stopping now”.

Mr Patton O’Connell said home care packages should also be offered. “Survivors need access to home care. One survivor, Tony Kelly, was dead in his house four weeks before he was found. Had he had home care, he would have been found sooner. You have survivors on the streets and in jail who can’t look after themselves.

“We don’t want to do this — we were left with no option. I want the Taoiseach to come down here and see us, but I know he won’t. [former justice minister] Helen McEntee won’t either.” 

Ms McEntee, however, did meet with the survivors near Buswells Hotel for two hours recently.

“While she was upset with our stories, she could offer us nothing and wasted two hours of our lives," said Ms Donovan.

Mary Donovan, originally from Kerry now living in Tipperary: 'This is all we can do now to highlight our story.'

“We are not here to hold the Catholic church responsible. For the first time in 26 years, four survivors are standing up to the State, they are responsible for taking us from our family.”

Mr Patton O’Connell was six months old when he went into Pembroke House in Tralee, Co Kerry, where he was “beaten, starved and sexually assaulted for 11 years”.

Mary Donovan was also in the same institution until she was 18 years old, where she was also badly abused.

“This is all we can do now to highlight our story,” she said. 

“The public is supporting us, but the Government is not. We will continue, our families are not happy about it, but they know our cause. We will go as far as it takes and we know all the consequences, unless we get a written commitment otherwise we carry on".

A spokesperson for the Department of Education told the Irish Examiner: "The department is very conscious of the enormous trauma which has been experienced by all survivors of abuse."

The State’s response to historical abuse in residential institutions, such as industrial schools and reformatories, has been significant and has included the establishment of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse as well as the supports and payments made to survivors through a redress scheme, Caranua and other initiatives. The Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Act 2025 was recently passed by the Oireachtas and will enable the delivery of ongoing health and education supports to survivors.

The Minister met with the survivors concerned on Monday 29 September, to hear from them personally. An Taoiseach also met directly with members of the group on Friday 3 October. At each of these meetings concern was expressed for the survivors’ physical and mental health as a result of their decision, and they were asked to reconsider it and to engage with officials in relation to the matters that they have raised. The minister has also written to the group on a number of occasions to outline the position.

"Since the current protest began, officials from the Department have been in ongoing contact with the group, as has the Special Advocate for Survivors,  Patricia Carey."