EXPOSED - Finally [Kathy O'Beirne]

Added to www.alliancesupport.org on July 27, 2009

 

The Sunday Times has done the unbelievable as far as many people would be concerned. One of their journalists, Colin Coyle this week revisited a story of a woman who had achieved best seller status world wide and claimed to be horrifically abused by members of the the Catholic Church. Not only that, but she also stated that, besides being burned in oil by her father, when she was in a psychiatric hospital as a young child she was forced to wash dead bodies; this is as well as having parts of her liver etc being taken out for experimentation. This was taken as fact although, even though the woman is ambigious about her age, she would have born in the mid 1960's. Were we really so barbic then, think about it.

Colin Coyle from the Sunday Times decided to investigate it. He discovered, to his shock, not to mine, that she had not one whit of paper to back her claims. There was supposed to be a sequel to 'Kathy's Story' called 'Always Dancing,'.  but Mainstream Publishers who had already sold her story worldwide, for some strange reason, have now decided to drop her and her story.

Back in 2002 as founder of one of the Irish Industrial School ex-inmates support groups 'Let Our Voices Emerge'(L.O.V.E.), I recognised that the story of a woman called Kathleen O'Beirne, in her book 'Kathy's Story,' was totally untrue with her depiction of horrific abuses and rapes in the Industrial Schools and Magdalene Laundries and a homeless shelter. Stories of rapes by priests and visitors in the Industrial Schools and Magdalene Laundries that she was supposedly in; pregnant at near 13, with a child that supposedly died at 10 years old after a life in hospital - yet no records of the child for 10 years. This was fully accepted by the media.

It's alway's dangerous to contradict another persons story of abuse, especially if you've come from the Industrial Schools. We are a very accepting lot normally.But this woman had visited various shelters and 'Victim support group' meetings, and tried to integrate herself asking ex inmates and Magdalenes about their experiences.

But I was very lucky, I had the ear of such brilliant writers as Lara Bradly, Dearbhail McDonald, David Quinn, Colin Coyle, Hermann Kelly, Joe Little. Garry O'Sullivan, Willie Kiealy, Liam Collins, Kevin Myers et al. I'm not saying for one minute they've agreed with me in my stance against 'Kathy's Story', but they as all good journalists do - questioned what she was saying.

The book 'Kathy's Story' earned £4 million for Mainstream Publishers  Edinburgh. I decided as founder of L.O.V.E. to challenge her with her story. No small task when all you've got is a firm resolution that no matter how bad our homes (Industrial Schools) were, false allegations won't be tolerated - they destroy the credibility of those who did suffer.

National radio and T.V shows gave poor Ms O'Beirne publicity. As recently as last spring one national brodcaster gave her a full uncontested interview. I'm being deliberatly obscure with the dates to protect what I actually do know is normally a well meaning media - but suffice it to say that, even after they refused to give the journalist Hermann Kelly, writer of the fascinating book 'Kathy's Real Story' an expose of Ms O'Beirne, and after pleading phone calls from myself and Ms O'Beirne's family, they still went on air to give her wholehearted support, with no allowence to what we from the Industrial Schools were saying, with the school records showing there was no way she could have been in the Laundries when she said she was, and, as far as I'm concerned, personally, when Ms O'Beirne had the temerity to actually ring me, and try to threaten me with attack on my family, I was able to shut her up in 30 seconds flat.

Follow the link below if you want to try unravel the fascinating story of how one of the biggest scams in literary history was perpetuated. Even though I write for the media, I hate to say my fellow writers perpetuated the scam.

Follow the link below to see the Sunday Times of today 26/07/09  where all of O'Beirnes publishers, including those who sold 'Kathy's Story' have dropped her and also, if you haven't already followed this incredibly fascinating story, read it for yourself and judge.

http://kathystoryscam.blogspot.com/