Comments and concerns regarding Kathy's Story.

If you would like to post a comment or give your opinion on this issue, please send them to Florence at fhorsmanhogan@eircom.net and they will be forwarded for posting.If you don't want your comment posted, just mark 'not for posting'.
If you would like your name added to the support list, please say so - initials and vague address will only be posted, but full name and address are needed for verification.
Kind regards,
Honora.
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First Page of the story.

I am running down a long corridor. At the end of it there is a door with a bright shaft of sunlight shining through a glass pane. It is like a light from heaven. Beyond the door is the sunlight, the deep-blue sky and a golden beach that stretches on forever beside the rolling white waves. It is where I want to be, making sandcastles, feeling the heat of the sun and swimming in the sea. My happy childhood. My heaven. When I reach the door, I am almost blinded by the light. I try to open the door but there is no handle and there are bars on the glass. I bang my hands against the bars and scream but no one can hear me. I hear the echo of the footsteps on the floor of the corridor coming slowly towards me. I close my eyes as I kneel and clasp my hands. Tears flow down my cheeks as the footsteps stop behind me. Above me, the light fades and the sun, sea and sand disappear into a black night with no moon. I am plunged into the darkness of my unhappy childhood. I grip the bars and scream with pain, humiliation, anger and hate. I am a child in the cruel grip of an unending nightmare. A child should have happy memories to balance the normal pains of growing up but I have few or none. I never made it to the sea of my childhood heaven; instead, behind the locked door, I was consigned to a hell of beatings and abuse. Tears replace laughter, pain replaced pleasure. Love was destroyed by hate. There was darkness instead of light. My childhood was one long scream of suffering which has haunted all of my adult life. Although I am now able to express myself more clearly, when I recount early my experiences it is in the stark voice of the tortured child I was then. I had great difficulty in recalling some of the worst experiences because for most of my life I had repressed the memories. This is the natural self-defense mechanism of the abused. There are still some events that I find it impossible to talk about.'

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Comments.

Sent: Tuesday, August 22, 2006 11:18 PM
Subject: Kathy's Story. To Mainstream Publishers.

I would strongly urge you to consider that the above book which you are promoting as an autobiography contains many factual errors.

Several members of Ms. O'Beirne's family have clearly stated that she was never in the Magdalene laundry ; they have strongly contradicted many of her claims in the book and state that it is full of fabrication and untruths. If this is the case, this book, in which Ms. O'Beirne contradicts herself on several occasions, is causing a lot of suffering to many innocent people; If it is proven that allegations made in the book are untrue, it is essential that these be checked before publication. The book should not be published prior to establishing the facts of the situation

John Scanlan,
Bantry,
Co. Cork

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'Kathy's Story' The Alliance Support Group support all efforts to have this Fictional Book removed from publication. It is clearly a Scam.

For too long people such as Kathy and others have been allowed to say whatever they liked about the Religious and Institutions without challenge. Let your support and ours be a warning to Kathy and others that we will seek justice for the genuine victims while exposing the many false stories and articles that have become commonplace over the years from unscrupulous people. (many former members of these Institutions)who have done so for personal gain at the expense of genuine victims.

Tom Hayes
Secretary

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'The mere fact that unsubstantiated stories can make the
best seller lists says a lot about the world that we live in today. What
happens when these stories are found to be untrue? People go and look for
the next 'horror' story without having learned any lessons from the last.
When this happens it is the real victims of abuse that suffer, as they
cannot get anyone to listen to their story.

Diane Nolan, Founder of The
Kerelaw Support Group.'
web: http://www.kerelawscandal.co.uk
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Regarding the tall tales told by Kathy O'Beirne, people may care to look at the "Magdalene Laundry Survivors" website which is run by Richard Wood.

(I hope the following link works but you can find it easily through Google anyway -
http://tethys.croydon.ac.uk/magdalenecircle.nsf/pages/HomePage).

While the website is very sympathetic to women who were in Magdalen Laundries, it is most unusual in that it gives BOTH sides of the story. See for example the sections on "Counter Arguments" and "Reactions to Kathy O'Beirne". See also the "Messages" section.

Nobody is completely impartial. We are all partisans of one side or the other. However it is important that we keep an open mind to the arguments of the other side. Kathy O'Beirne's book could only be a best-seller in a society that has lost its reason. Remember the famous definition of a Liberal - "a person so broad-minded that his brains have fallen out"!

Rory Connor
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It's so disappointing to again see that the publishing world's lust for
scandal
and horror stories overrides their duty to confirm whether Kathie's story is
fact or fiction.

Horrific allegations are very easy to make, politically correct to believe,
lucrative to cash in on,
but society has a duty of care to fastidiously investigate and substantiate
allegations
which can, and often do, ruin innocent people's lives

John Easling , Australia
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DEAR FLORENCE,
SINCERE CONGRATULATIONS ON ALL YOUR WORK .
YOUR EFFORTS TO HAVE THE TRUTH KNOWN ABOUT KATHY ARE REALLY PRAISEWORTHY, ALL THE MORE SO AS COUNTLESS RELIGIOUS WHO HAVE BEEN FALSELY ACCUSED AND CLEARED ARE LOOSING HOPE OF ANY FAIRNESS IN THE MEDIA IN GENERAL, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF A FEW BRAVE SOULS,
THANK YOU MOST SINCERELY FOR ALL YOUR EFFORTS
GOD BLESS YOU AND ALL YOUR FAMILY
MICHAEL
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I have just finished reading a transcript of Vincent Browne's Radio interview with Kathy O'Beirne author of the now infamous book "Don't ever Tell"

I never cease to be amazed that people are still now commonly known as "The Abuse Industry". It originated in North America and was in introduced to Ireland at the beginning of the Nineties. It proved to be very successful and a God send for the media who made the most of the opportunity of earning a quick buck . Members of the media have to make a living and it was an easy task to indulge the insatiable appetite of the Irish people for ordure. It is apparent now that they were on a winner as this book has been on the best sellers list in Ireland for over three months now.

I haven't read the book but I heard enough from reading the aforementioned transcript that it contains nothing more than a rehash of hundreds of similar stories told on Radio /shown on Television and in the cinema. How people are not bored with the same repetitive garbage is un believable. It must be that Religious bashing is unfashionable with those who have pretensions of being "hip and cool"/pseudo intellectuals and neo hippies.

It would be an interesting thesis for a Post Graduate in Economics or related discipline to study the success of the Abuse Industry I am reminded of the Nora Wall case where she was con convicted of "gang rape" (Judge Carneys words) and sentenced to life imprisonment. Her two accusers recanted the evidence because they weren't told that Nora would be convicted ".They" told them(the accusers) that if they told a few fibs they would get big money and nothing would happen to Nora. Would the study ever find out who the "THEY are. Are they members of a cartel or acting independently. Do they get a commission when the so called abused receive their awards either in the Courts or the Redress Board.

A Social Science Post Grad could do a thesis on those in the Irish Society who having no economic gain continue to perpetuate a hate and malicious campaign against the Religious.

Reviewers of the book accepted without question everything it contained as if it was Sacred Scripture. I was particularly interested in one by Diane E. Griffith (Romolus) MI USA. ) and I quote "Ms.O'Brien tells a bitter painful tale of abuse the most horrifying is"that it is all true" How does Ms Griffith know this ? She has adduced no evidence to support a single allegation She doesn't even get the name right.



To all those concerned -so called survivors of child abuse/ Mafia styled Godfathers and members of the media

Have a nice day

Bridget Galvin

2 September "2006
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Launch of International Campaign.

An International campaign has been launched by the Let Our Voices Emerge charity (L.O.V.E.) to get the book 'Kathy's Story' removed from sales until the publishers Mainstream can verify how they've authenticated the serious allegations of abuse made against the Irish medical profession, the authors father and a religious congregation.

The L.O.V.E. charity maintain it was impossible for them to do so - as Kathy empathically was not in a Magdalene laundry.
She was however in a childrens home in Kilmacud, Dublin for 6 weeks only. She was also an inpatient in a psychiatric unit, and spent some time in Mountjoy prison.
These are the only institutions she can possibly have documentary proof of.
She also seems strangely reluctant to either be able to describe any of the sisters who abused her so horrifically, or indeed, provide a death or birth cert for her daughter 'Annie'.

This book has caused irreparable damage to the reputation of Ms O'Beirne's father (who has passed away and so can't defend his good name) , the Irish psychiatric services, and the religious congregation she claims abused her so horrifically.
Kathy's siblings, who defend their father, state they were not approached by the publishers on the allegations of abuse against him.

In the name of all genuinely abused children, both from Irish society as well as the institutions, and all who have suffered false allegations of child abuse, we are asking that the book be withdrawn from sales pending a full investigation.

Ms O'Beirne has issued threats to the founder of the L.O.V.E. charity to picket outside the family home unless this campaign is stopped. This has caused considerable distress to the children, this is highly inappropriate, but will not succeed as a bullying tactic.

If Ms O'Beirne would just provide the documentation she continually states she has to prove she was in a Magdalene laundry to the many journalists who ask her for it, the matter would be solved.

See the following link for the letter to the publishers and list of support groups and individuals (will be updated on an ongoing basis).

Send comments to fhorsmanhogan@eircom.net

http://kathystoryscam.blogspot.com/

Please pass this on or put on website as a permanent link. Continual updates will be provided as the campaign advances.
Kind regards,
Florence Horsman Hogan: Let Our Voices Emerge Charity. http://www.voicesemerge.org .

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Kathy threatens Florence Horsman Hogan.23-08-06.

As one of the leading campaigners to have the book 'Kathy's Story pulled from the shelves and investigated , I suppose it's only inevitable that I would get a call from Kathy herself.

However, the call only stregnthened my concern that Ms O'Beirne is not a very well woman to say the least. She made some fairly outragious remarks, one to the effect that she's had 300 support calls since yesterday evening - thats at least 15 calls an hour for the past 20 hours (she called at 17:50 pm). Also invited me to her case in the High Courts next week, but wouldn't tell me what it's about, in which case I declined the kind invitation.

There were a number of other fairly bizzare remarks, but one I took exception to - she's threatened to bring out gangs to picket our home.

Now thats not nice !. For a start off this is a family home with children ( and a rabbitt, and dog ), but also I don't like threats, particularly from bullies.Evidently she seems pretty annoyed about remarks made by her family in last weeks Sunday Mirror, and decided I was calling her a liar because of my involvement.
How absurd, I say the book needs verification, and she takes that to mean she's a liar !.

The Gardai in Clontarf were really nice, yes, they do know Kathy, yes she's relativly harmless, yes, it might be advisable to file a report to our Gardai here in Shankill. I like the garda, they're always very helpful to the Horsman Hogan teenagers - even gave them a lift home in the squad car once or twice ( had to catch them first tho'!).
Florence Horsman Hogan. fhorsmanhogan@eircom.net.

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Best selling Author issues Threatening phone Call to family.23-08-06.

Statement from LOVE

Last night the author of the best selling book 'Kathy's Story' rang the home of Florence Horsman Hogan of Let Our Voices Emerge (L.O.V.E.), making many strange allegations, but more worryingly, threatening to picket the private residence due to the 'quest for truth campaign' Ms
Horsman Hogan has waged against the book.

The gardai in Clontarf, and Shankill were notified of Ms O'Beirnes call and threats. 'This campaigh is a matter of
truth and record and does not require any action which could alarm or upset to the Horsman Hogan children'.

'Evidently Ms O'Beirne is unhappy at her family coming forward last Sunday to deny her allegations in the book' states Ms Horsman Hogan, but she can't bully any of us by threats .

This remarkable and courageous development by the O Beirne family has at last delivered a well deserved hammer blow to the credibility of this 'horrific fairytale'.

Ms O Beirne may have totally fooled a publishing house and some sections of the media - but the chickens
have now come home to roost - and her story based mostly on Magdalen Homes is shown to be nothing more than a tissue of lies and fantacy. Not a shred of evidence or a single witness has been presented by Kathy or her
publishers (Mainstream)to show she was in a laundry or Magdalen Home.

We will not be bullied by Ms O'Beirne, and if she thinks threatening me with a picket on my family home is going to make us back down, she can think again.

Kathy can produce the evidence now required at anytime and I will put it on the LOVE website - in the interests of justice and fairness for all involved.


The book must to be pulled from the shelves until it's authenticity is verified - and we will keep going until it is'. Florence Horsman Hogan. 01-2821414. / 0886-8762148.
END.