Faithless

Faithless is a visual interpretation of the pain and anguish caused by the Catholic Church in Ireland. I began this project to try and better understand the dark history that my parents and grandparents generation had to endure, which in turn has allowed my generation to now flourish with freedom. I started in 2018 by interviewing survivors of clerical abuse, and after carefully studying their testimonies I retraced their steps to each location in order photograph the institutions where they served their time. After which, I printed the landscape pictures and asked each individual to write a message of how they felt when they were confronted with the past, the text in red is the outcome of this collaboration. The extent of damage done within the walls of these institutions is like a never ending pitfall of despair which unfortunately deserves its place in history.

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09/10/19: An elderly man is seen inside the Pro Cathedral in Dublin City centre, Ireland. In recent years Ireland has seen a severe decline in the amount of people representing as Catholics. The 2016 census saw 10% of the country state to having no religion which makes it the largest grouping after Catholicism in the Republic of Ireland.

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05/03/2019: Michael Logue(69) poses for a portrait at The Christine Buckley Centre in Dublin. Born in Omagh, Co.Tyrone in 1950, He was brought to Rathdrum orphanage in Co. Wicklow, just under two years later, along with another brother although they would be separated. Michael stayed in Rathdrum until he was around ten years old and was then moved to the infamous Artane Boys School in Dublin. He had two quite severe accidents during his time in Artane. He was pushed into a wall with great force which left him with severe brain damage, the wound became infected and the brothers neglected the issue, eventually it led to Michael losing an eye. He would later lose hearing in one ear also. This injury changed the course of Michaels life and he has never been the same since. He has spent his whole life unable to read or write and is currently trying to learn.The Christine Buckley centre was set-up in 2009 by another abuse survivor after the release of the Ryan Report which was one of the first and by far the most damning report to divulge horrendous stories of both physical and sexual abuse within Catholic institutions in Ireland over the last century.

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11/07/2019: The infamous Artane Boys school can be seen in Artane, North County Dublin. The school which is still in use today was known to be one of the worst Catholic Institutions in the country that has a horrendous history of abuse and scandal. I visited each institution or their remains and then printed the photographs and asked each individual to write a message in red marker of what the place signifies to them.

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26th/08/2018:Citizens arrive at the Stand for Truth event at the Garden of remembrance in Dublin City.Several thousand people attended the event in protest of the Popes visit and also, the Catholic Church and in solidarity for survivors of abuse. Photo: James Forde

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04/04/2019: Delia Hanney(58) poses for a portrait at The Christine Buckley Centre in Dublin. Born 1960 in St Patricks Mother and baby home on the outskirts of Dublin City.Delia's mother had fallen pregnant to a trainee doctor from Nigeria who was studying at Trinity College. She was disowned by her own family and Delia eventually ended up in St. Josephs Industrial school in Kilkenny at the age of two or three. She stayed until she was thirteen where she was sexually abused quite regularly by one of the other lay staff members, a woman who was in her twenties and had also been raised in care. For misbehaviour Delia was often forced to undergo “a cold bath in the morning supervised by the same women who had abused” her the night before. The Christine Buckley centre was set-up in 2009 by another abuse survivor after the release of the Ryan Report which was one of the first and by far the most damning report to divulge horrendous stories of both physical and sexual abuse within Catholic institutions in Ireland over the last century.

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23/04/2019:The last remaining Magdalen laundry building in Ireland which is situated in Dublin city centre on Sean McDermott St and where Delia Hanney arrived when she was merely thirteen years old. This building has been marred by controversy recently as the Irish government was intending to sell it to a hotel chain but due to protest that process has been halted. These laundries are soaked with dark and twisted histories including that of a women in her fourties who escaped from this building in 1996, climbing out the window and fleeing from the nuns. I visited each institution or their remains and then printed the photographs and asked each individual to write a message in red marker of what the place signifies to them.

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12/05/2018: Several campaign signs from the abortion referendum can be seen outside a graveyard in Roscommon town in the midlands in Ireland. This picture is a clear indication of how people in rural towns felt about the legalisation of abortion and Roscommon in particular voted a majority no in the previous referendums.

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05/03/2019: Marie Nolan poses for a portrait at The Christine Buckley Centre in Dublin. Marie was born in Dublin City, the oldest of eleven siblings. She was sent to Holy Angels school in Glenamaroon, Chapilzod, which was run by the Daughters of Charity, at the age of 7 -1/2 under the pretence of getting an education. At eight years old she was sent to St.Lomans mental institution in Mullingar, Co. West Meath because the Nuns deemed her too much work. The Christine Buckley centre was set-up in 2009 by another abuse survivor after the release of the Ryan Report which was one of the first and by far the most damning report to divulge horrendous stories of both physical and sexual abuse within Catholic institutions in Ireland over the last century.

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11/07/2019:The furry glen as it's known can be seen in The Phoenix Park in Dublin. Marie Nolan recalls going for walks there every so often as a "treat" from the nuns and how she like the trees and the smell but her memories are more tainted with being fearful and cold as she ran across this frozen lake to escape the cruel hand of the nuns. I visited and photographed each institution, its remains or symbolic place and then printed the photographs and asked each individual to write a message in red marker of what the place signifies to them.

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26/05/2018:Women can be seen rejoicing in Dublin castle on the day that the abortion referendum was passed, which finally made abortion legal in Ireland after many years of fighting.

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21/02/2019: Jason Bollard poses for a portrait at The Christine Buckley Cenrtre in Dublin. Jason spent four years at St.Josephs boys home in Clonmel, County Tipperary where he was physically and sexually abused which led him into a dark life of crime and drug abuse.The Christine Buckley centre was set-up in 2009 by another abuse survivor after the release of the Ryan Report which was one of the first and by far the most damning report to divulge horrendous stories of both physical and sexual abuse within Catholic institutions in Ireland over the last century.

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28/07/2019: This is the only remaining piece of the original St.Josephs Boys Home in Clonmel, Co.Tipperary. The rest of the complex has been renovated and it is a currently a boys juvenile facility.I visited each institution or their remains and then printed the photographs and asked each individual to write a message in red marker of what the place signifies to them.

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25/08/2018: A young girl is seen at the Stand for Truth event in Dublin City during the Popes second ever visit to Ireland. The event was a protest to the Pope, to Catholicism and all the damage that it is has done in Ireland. The Pope first visited Ireland in 1979 and was met by an overwhleming 500,000 people, in 2018, it was roumored to be less than 100,000.

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26th/08/2018: The crowd gathers on Sean Mc Dermott street in Dublin City where one of the last remaining Magdalene laundry buildings still stands. This was part of the Stand for Truth event in Dublin City.Several thousand people attended the event in protest of the Popes visit and also, the Catholic Church and in solidarity for survivors of abuse. Photo: James Forde

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23rd/08/2018: A Church is reflected in a puddle in Dublin City, ahead of the papal visit this weekend. Photo: James Forde for The Irish Times

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14/03/2019: Mary Smith poses for a portrait at The Christine Buckley Centre in Dublin. Mary spent most of her formative years in Catholic Institutions in County Cork where she was beaten and abused sexually. She was seperated from her mother at birth and found out in 2006 that she had a long lost brother who had spent most of his life in a mental institution, only to die several years after being re-united.Mary has spent her entire life trying to disover what happened to her and her family. The Christine Buckley centre was set-up in 2009 by another abuse survivor after the release of the Ryan Report which was one of the first and by far the most damning report to divulge horrendous stories of both physical and sexual abuse within Catholic institutions in Ireland over the last century.

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27/07/19: The dilapidated remains of St.Aloysius Industrial School in Clonakilty, County Cork where Mary spent several years before being moved to a Magdalen Laundry. "Work and beatings is all I remember" says Mary.I visited each institution or their remains and then printed the photographs and asked each individual to write a message in red marker of what the place signifies to them.

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28/09/2018: A young lady is seen protesting in Dublin City after the Abortion Referendum was passed in order to ensure that the correct policies and safe procedures go into place. Abortion was legalised in Ireland on May 25th 2018 after many years of a long arduous battle with both Church and State.

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25/08/2018: An attendee of the Stand For Truth Event can be seen signing laundry sheets outside of of the last standing Magdalen laundry buildingin Ireland. The event was a protest to the Pope, to Catholicism and all the damage that it is has done in Ireland. The laundry was located on Sean McDermott st in Dublin and was roumored to be turning into a modern hotel but that has since been halted.