I have to ask this question.

Who knew the extent of this? Did I just have a very sheltered upbringing in Malahide? Despite going to a Christian Brothers secondary school - pincipally staffed by lay teachers, I did not witness anything remotely comparable. I saw lads getting a thump - some more than others - but then they were going to turn into armed thieves and end up in Mountjoy anyway. Whether those thumpings contributed - who knows - but that was limited. I wasn't in the country when the "States of Fear" documentaries were aired. I thought incidents were isolated. Maybe it was hope. Very very naiive hope.

I've read some of the Commissions report, and I know there is absolute shock, horror, anger and the rest going on back home - especially with my generation and those I grew up with as we have similar "protected" middle class backgrounds. But come on. It's not that long ago and there is a couple of generations still out there that lived through this. That had these places right beside them. That were told by their children that this was happening but chose to ignore it. It's not an argument that "the times were different" back then. Not acceptable. I don't care where you live or what epoch you lived in - any form of child abuse is morally wrong. Whatever the role of the Church in peoples lives in the last century. Comparing the odd reactionary disciplined smack from a teacher to this shit. Not acceptable.

This has broken through the news over here - and around the world I believe. I'm unable to say anything. I'm ashamed. I know we're not the only country where its happened, but we've placed so much in the hands of the Church since independence, they control too much.

What's wrong with us as a nation? We're a small country - a land of saints and scholars. Yet we have managed to produce some of the most corrupt politicians and government officials the world has seen - including a former Taoiseach who, in some pockets (such as Dingle), is still hailed as a hero. Now many of our once revered Catholic institutions have been revealed as paedophile rings and organisers of systematic torture, guilty of running Nazi-esque concentration camps. What is wrong with us?

Is is our history of occupation? Surely that excuse is running thin a century on?

There's been so much material on this subject over the past week since the Commission's report being released that there's little else to say. Except to ask again. Who knew of this? How could anyone in all concience know this was happening and not act? How could parents not believe their children? How could a State department preside over the atrocities? How could 1 in 100 children go through these institutions and it not affect the entire generation?

Does anybody every read this guys blog http://bocktherobber.com/ ? Calls a spade a spade and restores faith somewhat. Time for people to act.