I remain blighted by my status

Sir — I write regarding your Letter of the Week last week, where the writer significantly stated that each child has a purpose in life and each has the right to reach their full potential.

I’m writing to you now, as I feel the author shows an ignorance of the implications for any child born out of wedlock in the Ireland of the 1950s.

Being such a child, I had neither the purpose nor the opportunity to achieve my aims in life.

Instead I had the misfortune of growing up with my status hanging around my neck — reading ‘bastard’, ‘worthless cur’, not worth the feeding.

My only use seemed to have been to become the plaything of someone who used me as a form of sexual gratification. At 16 I tried to commit suicide. Had I been successful I would have avoided the tyranny of memories that have engaged me this past 50 years.

How I envy young people and the skills they have. Instead, I have had to go on, for what purpose I do not know.

By day I am a survivor, but at night I continually wrestle with memories that do not fade with the years.

Bitterness has taken me over during the past few weeks. I am reminded of the hypocrisy of the Irish people, many of whom knew about industrial schools, Magdalene Laundries, mother and baby homes and so on.

It is discouraging that ‘cute hoorism’ is still alive and well in Holy Ireland.

Yes, last week’s letter writer is right to say that the lost children of Tuam — had they lived — could have become doctors, writers, poets, nurses.

But being bastard children, Irish society would have seen to it that none of them would have achieved those dreams.

Name and address with Editor