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Extra.ie
30-06-2025
- Extra.ie
Student suffered relentless abuse at hands of Christian Brother
Wayne Farrell was sitting at home on the couch when he casually picked up a copy of the Irish Mail on Sunday. It was January 28, 2018. Wayne cannot read or write, but as he flicked through the pages, a picture of an old man caught his eye. The photo was of Brother Aidan Clohessy. It was then that something in Wayne snapped. 'That's when it happened,' Wayne recalls. 'I just broke down, sitting on the sofa, and I threw it [the paper] on the ground.' Aidan Clohessy. Pic: Collins Courts Suddenly, Wayne was full of rage. He was crying uncontrollably, too. 'What's wrong?' asked his sister Michelle, seeing his distress. For the first time in his life, Wayne, who was then 44, told her about St Augustine's. Wayne was eight when he was transferred there after his First Holy Communion. Prior to that, he'd been attending 'Benincasa School for slow learners' run by the Dominican order in Blackrock, south Dublin. St Augustine's, located on nearby Carysfort Avenue and run by the St John of God order, was a school for individuals with mild intellectual disabilities. Wayne Farrell. Pic: Tom Honan Brother Aidan Clohessy was the school principal at St Augustine's from the early 1970s until 1993. Within a year of arriving at the school, Wayne was targeted. The abuse could happen anywhere – at the pool, in the gym and often in the principal's office. 'He was watching all the time. And he'd just stand there, staring.' 'You just knew he was coming for you,' Wayne recalls. 'He'd touch me on the shoulder, and I'd look around and he'd say: 'Come with me, son.' You knew you were in trouble then.' Aidan Clohessy. Pic: Collins Courts Each day, as he got off the bus at the school gates, Wayne faced a new nightmare. Walking into the building, he'd watch for any tell-tale sign of trouble from Brother Aidan. 'He'd be standing at the double doors with his hands in his pockets. As soon as he'd seen you, he'd have the comb over the hair, and you f***ing knew you were going to get done that day. You knew it. You would feel it.' Brother Aidan's office was through the school's main double doors and up the corridor, on the right-hand side. There was then one step up into the room. Inside, Wayne remembers a religious statue, a sink, a desk to the left, chairs and a window opposite the door. Through the window, a pond outside was visible. The first time Brother Aidan called Wayne to his office, he had no idea what was in store. Removing a key from his pocket, Brother Aidan locked the door from the inside and returned the key to his trousers. No escape was possible. Then it began. 'Take off your clothes,' Brother Aidan ordered. At first, Wayne refused. 'No.' Then Brother Aidan reached for his cane and drew his belt from around his waist. 'What do you want?' he asked, threatening Wayne with a beating, a frequent occurrence for students at St Augustine's. 'I don't want anything,' answered Wayne, confused. Brother Aidan grabbed Wayne by the ear and lifted him up. 'Son, you listen and do what I tell you,' he warned. Eventually, Wayne gave in. 'I stripped off and he sat in front of me naked. He came around behind me. He would always put his arm on my shoulder, and he'd say: 'Son, no words.' Then he started rubbing his penis up and down me backside.' Over the years, that phrase – 'son, no words' – was replaced with a menacing gesture that haunts Wayne to this day. Every time Brother Aidan placed his forefinger over his lips in a shushing motion, Wayne knew what was about to happen. He still remembers the gold ring on Brother Aidan's hand, with an embedded red gemstone, and the way he kept twisting it. Once, Wayne ran for the window to escape. But it was hopeless. 'I tried to get out of it one day because he had me naked. He gave me such a whack that I just [fell over] backwards.' Wayne travelled to school on the bus, but sometimes he'd be called to the office after school. When that happened, he'd miss the bus and have to walk home afterwards. The walk down Carysfort Avenue into Blackrock and back to Dún Laoghaire took an hour. 'It was eating away at me all the time' 'In winter it was horrible,' he recalls, breaking into tears. After several years, Wayne's mother pulled him from St Augustine's. She never said why. She must have seen the bruises from the beatings. She couldn't possibly have imagined the rest. Wayne never spoke about the abuse until 2018 when he saw this newspaper, when he finally opened up to his sister. Wayne's dream was to be a fireman or a policeman, but he'd never learned to read or write in St Augustine's. Just how to be afraid. He was a champion swimmer, though, and from the age of 18 he volunteered with the Dún Laoghaire lifeboat crew. Wayne would go on to save many lives and win bravery awards for dramatic and selfless rescues at sea. He also often worked as a diver, recovering submerged bodies for the emergency services. But since he suffered three minor strokes in recent years, Wayne has been unable to volunteer any more. His beloved daily swims in Dublin Bay have ceased. For work, Wayne served time on fishing trawlers, helped at a funeral home and even had a stint as a Dublin Bus driver on the famous 46A route. He always tried to keep busy, to run ahead of the memories that chased him. But it never worked. 'I tried to put it behind me, but it was eating away at me all the time. When you get time to think about these things it just comes back. It never goes,' he says. Meanwhile, Wayne never felt he could tell anyone. 'Imagine going home to your friends or relatives to tell them that had happened to you. Them days they wouldn't believe you because of the Catholic religion. That was God. And that was it.' At night, he medicates to keep the memories and emotions at bay. 'I take sleeping tablets at nighttime to make me sleep because I wake up so angry. If I knew where he was, I'd go after him.' Today, Wayne feels let down by 'He stole everything I wanted in life' 'When I was young, I was in the care of the State because I'm a slow learner. I was f***ing abused under their watch. 'I'd love to meet the Minister for Justice and say it to them – how do you think I feel? Has it ever happened to you? Yet you let him [Brother Aidan] walk around.' Unable to read or write, Wayne never even knew that the Redress Board existed. Set up in 2002 in the wake of the Ryan Commission into abuse at religious-run schools, the board ran a now-closed compensation scheme. But he doesn't care. For Wayne, it was never about the money. He only ever wanted justice for what Brother Aidan did to him. 'He has stolen everything I wanted in life,' he told in the days before Brother Aidan's trial began this month. 'I want justice done. I hope justice is done. 'I'm not afraid of him. I'm a big guy now. What he did is a crime – if I did what he did, I'd be in jail. So what's the difference with him? 'I want to go into court. I want to be there to tell the judge what he's done. That's all I want, for him to get put away, even for a month, because at the moment, he's walking around. I want that f***er in jail. I don't care if he's 101. I'll wheel him to jail. I'll put him in a wheelchair to jail.' This week, Wayne finally got his wish as his abuser, now 85, was convicted of 19 counts of indecent assault following two separate trials at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court last month and sentenced to a total of five years and four months in prison. However, the trial almost never took place, and Wayne was very nearly not involved in it. Numerous victims from St Augustine's came forward to the Redress Board two decades ago, and their cases were settled in secret. No prosecution resulted, and Brother Aidan remained free. Then in 2018, tracked down former St Augustine's pupils who had never been before the Redress Board and published their statements. A week after he saw Brother Aidan's face in that newspaper coverage, Wayne walked up to the counter in his local Garda station. 'I want to report an incident of sexual assault that happened at school,' he told the officer at the front desk. 'When did it happen?' he was asked by the garda. 'When I was young,' he answered. 'I was sexually assaulted in school – what do I do? Through the hatch, Wayne was asked to provide his name and number on a blank sheet of paper. 'I'll arrange for you to come in,' he was told. 'We'll be in touch.' Wayne walked back out the door that day thinking that he'd made a giant personal leap. But nothing ever happened. No one called. The bravery he had shown in coming forward, after years of silence and shame, had all been for nothing. 'I felt I was getting somewhere, but I was let down by the State again,' he says. Five years later, in 2022, Wayne called this reporter for the first time. He had nowhere left to turn. The day after his call, I sat down with Wayne on a bench at Bulloch Harbour, overlooking Dublin Bay, and he shared his story with me. The harbour, where his family run a small lobster business, is a special place for Wayne. 'I come down here out of the way of everyone,' he says. 'I don't socialise, really, because I fear people. I'm down here out of the way of everything.' Aidan Clohessy had, at this point, been charged with the abuse of the other St Augustine's pupils that our 2018 investigation had been able to track down. But the Garda team responsible were unaware of Wayne, despite his visit to his local station to report his abuse, years beforehand. That was corrected only when we provided Wayne with the details of the team that was prosecuting Brother Aidan. This week, after many let-downs and many years, Wayne finally got his chance to tell the court what Brother Aidan did to him and to see his abuser get justice.
Extra.ie
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Roy, Mary Lou and me -- Conor Sketches on his favourite stars and unusual fans
His world-class impressions have brought him face-to-face with global sporting icons such as Tiger Woods, José Mourinho and Max Verstappen. But the man behind Conor Sketches says he gets the most joy from channelling Mary Lou McDonald – and her constituency rival Gerry Hutch has also turned out to be a fan. Conor Moore said the Sinn Féin leader is 'the one that I'm loving doing at the minute' and is currently writing her parts for his run of Irish shows in the autumn. Conor Moore. Pic: Brian McEvoy 'Mary Lou is just a brilliant character,' the impressionist told the Irish Mail on Sunday. 'I think she's got a cool voice; she's got that attitude. She's up against the two lads [Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris] all the time and she's definitely one I'm really enjoying.' The Mullingar man added that 'throwing Gerry Hutch into the mix' when he and McDonald went head-to-head in Dublin Central last November 'was fun'. And 'The Monk' has made his appreciation of Moore's work known on no fewer than three occasions. Conor Sketches as Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch. Pic: Instagram 'I did some for the election last year and he commented under the first one and said it was brilliant,' the mimic explained. 'Then I did a thing where all the politicians were on First Dates, and he wrote me a message saying it was brilliant. So that was definitely a relief.' The alleged crime boss-turned-wannabe politician acknowledged Moore's work again when he featured in a hilarious St Patrick's Day skit earlier this year, in which The Monk accompanied Micheál Martin to meet Donald Trump in the White House. 'He put up on his social media [saying], 'Give this fella a follow, brilliant.' Then I really knew he really liked it.' While GAA personalities provided much of the 36-year-old's earlier material, Moore has become the go-to impersonator in the ego-filled worlds of golf, Formula 1 and soccer – and it seems it isn't just The Monk who can laugh at himself. Pic:Moore said 'every single one' of the stars he has met – and often lampooned in their presence – has been 'absolutely bang on'. 'It nearly makes your job harder to do, because at the start, you nearly think these people aren't real, so you're just taking the mick out of them,' he said. 'Now you're a bit like, 'Oh, should I do that one? Should I talk about this?', and you think a bit more about it, because you do get that access, and you do meet these people.' However, Moore's aversion to outright cruelty resulted in him retiring his Harry Maguire impression when the Manchester United and England defender became the internet's favourite punching bag. He believes being Irish 'definitely helps' – 'especially when I was in America at the golf clubs and working at the Golf Channel [where he had his own show for three years]'. Conor Moore as Mary Lou McDonald. Pic: Instagram 'People looked at you like, 'You're Irish, you're fun, you're bringing the craic here.' People know you're good for a slag and stuff.' It is rare for someone to ask to be impersonated on the spot, but the biggest star golf has produced was an exception. 'I was only after meeting him 10 seconds earlier. I said, 'How are you Tiger?' And he said, 'Oh hey buddy, do me.' 'I goes [in Woods's voice]: 'The conditions are really tough out there,' and he just turned to me and goes, 'F*** dude, you do sound just like me.'' The pair went on to make an ad together, and more recently, Moore recorded an ad with Roy Keane, whom he calls 'just brilliant fun'. 'He's just such a great laugh when you're on set with him. The Sky ad was easier, because I had met him before [on Sky Sports show The Overlap]. Conor Moore and Roy Keane. Pic: File 'But he's just very funny, and very enjoyable to do stuff with.' Inspired by Après Match's 2001 video Live At The Olympia, Moore began doing impressions in school with his good friend Alan Cashman – 'the only fella that actually enjoyed them' – who he still bounces new material off. Years later, working in sales after a stint in finance in New York, he was photographed contributing to 'a bit of a scuffle' at a GAA match. He said: 'There was a picture of me in the paper – it was none too flattering, but it was harmless – and I did a video on it, taking the mick out of Mourinho, Dunphy, Beckham, all these lads talking about it. I sent it into the WhatsApp group, and one of the boys put it on Facebook, and it gathered legs. 'I quit my job then about two weeks later, and said: 'Right, I'll give this thing a crack. I'll make some videos online and see if I can get a job doing it.' And rang me up about four months after that and gave me a job.' His upcoming, almost-sold-out live tour will be his second, and features on-stage interactions with pre-recorded segments and material adjusted according to what part of the country he is performing in. He plans to do a full Formula 1 tour in future, which he acknowledges could take him 'anywhere' given the sport's global popularity, helped by Netflix docuseries Drive To Survive. Moore says he wasn't even an F1 fan himself before that series, illustrating the endless creative potential of a top impersonator. 'Someone said to me, 'Make hay when the sun shines,' and I'm like, 'I'm hoping it shines now for the next 40 years or whatever.' 'If a new person comes along, you just learn them. In two or three years, I could have another Irish show with completely new people.' But he said interesting characters are harder to come by in football these days. 'They're so well media-trained to give the same stock answers,' he said. 'Where you're getting content is probably Keane and [Gary] Neville and these boys doing podcasts. They're actually just coming out saying whatever. 'In terms of managers and players, it's so hard to find characters in that.'
Sunday World
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sunday World
Celebs line up to congratulate Holly Carpenter as she gets married in Dublin
Taking to Instagram, Holly posted a series of snaps from her big day, describing it as a 'moment I have dreamed of with my dad' Fellow celebrities have congratulated former Miss Ireland Holly Carpenter as she got hitched in the restaurant where she and her fiancé had their very first date. Taking to Instagram, Holly posted a series of snaps from her big day, describing it as a 'moment I have dreamed of with my dad'. She also thanked photographer Evan Doherty, 'for capturing this special moment that I'll never forget'. The comments section was flooded with messages from well-wishers, including DJ Nikki Hayes who offered 'congratulations, stunning as always', while writer Vicki Notaro posted a series of red heart emojis. Podcaster Louise McSherry also added some hearts, as did Glenda Gilson while model Sarah McGovern wrote: 'Aww, wow Holly! You look sensational, congratulations to you both.' Holly and Corkman hubby Jamie Hunt had their registry ceremony at the Charlotte Quay Restaurant in Dublin, before their marriage abroad this summer. The 'intimate' gathering of 12 guests included family members and photographer Evan Doherty, who has been friends with the couple for years, as well as Max, their beloved pooch. Speaking to the Irish Mail on Sunday at the VIP Style Awards on Friday night, Holly said she was 'really looking forward' to the day. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content While their legal ceremony was this week, later this year the couple will have a bigger wedding in France, 'in a little town called Auch, 'where it's always sunny'. Last week, Holly explained how the official registry ceremony was taking place in Charlotte Quay, 'the restaurant where we had our first date'. "Evan Doherty is doing our wedding photos,' she told 'He's obviously been friends for years, and then it's just 12 of us, so it's just our closest family, and it's going to be really intimate and chilled. Holly's father, Karl, who was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer, myelodysplastic syndrome in February 2020, walked her down the aisle. Holly and Jamie pictured together on holiday News in 90 Seconds - May 29th She had previously offered an insight into her dad's battle with cancer after he was admitted to hospital for six weeks when he picked up an infection. Writing alongside a Facebook post in February, Holly shared 'an update on Karl's journey so far'. 'This is just a small insight into the uncertainty he has faced and how quick things can change,' she wrote. 'Like so many, Karl is extremely grateful to @mariekeatingfoundation and everyone who is supporting @paddys_day_dip. 'We are stronger together.' Since her dad's cancer diagnosis Holly and Jamie have been throwing their support behind the Marie Keating Foundation's cancer support services, which are provided free of charge to anyone who needs them. Last year, they raised over €20,000 for the charity and hope to raise even more this year. Jamie's father Keith was diagnosed with terminal cancer and sadly passed away in September 2024. Holly said: 'Jamie's dad Keith was still around with us at the time. He was a big fan of sea swimming right up until he was 89, up until the end. 'When they talk about how good sea swimming is for you, he was a living testament at the time. 'We're encouraging people to take part all around the country. It's something we'd love to keep growing and growing.' Last year Holly also opened up about her decision to become sober after a night of heavy drinking, telling followers that it has been one of her best decisions. The former Miss Ireland told followers that the previous September she woke up 'extremely hungover' and levels of anxiety that felt 'through the roof'. "I had drank so much the night before that I blacked out. I remember I woke up with the all too familiar feelings of self-hatred and shame and severe, severe anxiety,' she said, adding that even a few drinks would impact her mental health. She said her life is 'so much better' since she made the decision to give up alcohol and even though she did not drink daily or even weekly, the aftermath was 'so bad' for her when she did drink that she grew tired of it.
Irish Independent
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
‘A moment I have dreamed of' – Holly Carpenter marries long-term boyfriend in ‘intimate' Dublin wedding
Taking to Instagram, Holly posted a series of snaps from her big day, describing it as a 'moment I have dreamed of with my dad'. She also thanked photographer Evan Doherty, 'for capturing this special moment that I'll never forget'. The comments section was flooded with messages from well-wishers, including DJ Nikki Hayes who offered 'congratulations, stunning as always', while writer Vicki Notaro posted a series of red heart emojis. Podcaster Louise McSherry also added some hearts, as did Glenda Gilson while model Sarah McGovern wrote: 'Aww, wow Holly! You look sensational, congratulations to you both.' Holly and Corkman Jamie Hunt had their registry ceremony at the Charlotte Quay Restaurant in Dublin, before their marriage abroad this summer. The 'intimate' gathering of 12 guests included family members and photographer Evan Doherty, who has been friends with the couple for years, as well as Max, their beloved pooch. Speaking to the Irish Mail on Sunday at the VIP Style Awards on Friday night, Holly said she was 'really looking forward' to the day. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content While their legal ceremony was this week, later this year the couple will have a bigger wedding in France, 'in a little town called Auch, 'where it's always sunny'. Last week, Holly explained how the official registry ceremony was taking place in Charlotte Quay, 'the restaurant where we had our first date'. "Evan Doherty is doing our wedding photos,' she told 'He's obviously been friends for years, and then it's just 12 of us, so it's just our closest family, and it's going to be really intimate and chilled. Holly's father, Karl, who was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer, myelodysplastic syndrome in February 2020, walked her down the aisle. She had previously offered an insight into her dad's battle with cancer after he was admitted to hospital for six weeks when he picked up an infection. Writing alongside a Facebook post in February, Holly shared 'an update on Karl's journey so far'. 'This is just a small insight into the uncertainty he has faced and how quick things can change,' she wrote. 'Like so many, Karl is extremely grateful to @mariekeatingfoundation and everyone who is supporting @paddys_day_dip. 'We are stronger together.' Since her dad's cancer diagnosis Holly and Jamie have been throwing their support behind the Marie Keating Foundation's cancer support services, which are provided free of charge to anyone who needs them. Last year, they raised over €20,000 for the charity and hope to raise even more this year. Jamie's father Keith was diagnosed with terminal cancer and passed away in September 2024. Holly said: 'Jamie's dad Keith was still around with us at the time. He was a big fan of sea swimming right up until he was 89, up until the end. 'When they talk about how good sea swimming is for you, he was a living testament at the time. 'We're encouraging people to take part all around the country. It's something we'd love to keep growing and growing.' Last year, Holly also opened up about her decision to become sober after a night of heavy drinking, telling followers that it has been one of her best decisions. The former Miss Ireland told followers that the previous September she woke up 'extremely hungover' and levels of anxiety that felt 'through the roof'. "I had drank so much the night before that I blacked out. I remember I woke up with the all too familiar feelings of self-hatred and shame and severe, severe anxiety,' she said, adding that even a few drinks would impact her mental health. She said her life is 'so much better' since she made the decision to give up alcohol and even though she did not drink daily or even weekly, the aftermath was 'so bad' for her when she did drink that she grew tired of it.
Extra.ie
11-05-2025
- Business
- Extra.ie
Growing number of Irish companies providing ‘pet-ernity leave' for workers
A growing number of Irish companies are providing 'pet-ernity leave' for their animal-loving workers. And those that haven't been given paws for thought with the arrival of the inaugural doggie Oscars – Petmania's Ruby Heart Awards – which will honour pet-friendly workplaces among other categories. Today's top videos STORY CONTINUES BELOW Businesses are now offering policies such as granting pet compassionate leave – 'basically bereavement leave' – according to Petmania's marketing manager, Emily Miller. Businesses are offering 'pet-ernity leave' for new four-legged arrivals, Ms Miller said. Pic: Getty Images 'It might be a half-day or a day off, or supports to allow pet owners to grieve,' she told the Irish Mail on Sunday. 'Or to make the arrangements that are necessary if a pet needs to be put to sleep, or has passed away, and you want to get it cremated or have it buried.' Other businesses are offering 'pet-ernity leave' for new four-legged arrivals, Ms Miller said. 'Anyone who's getting a new pet knows that, particularly for puppies and kittens, you need to settle them in, and they need lots of time and attention.' Other award-worthy criteria could include allowing pets in the workplace or giving time off to go to the vet. The pet-friendly workplace prize is one of 10 up for grabs at the novel ceremony. Pic: Getty Images The pet-friendly workplace prize is one of 10 up for grabs at the novel ceremony, which also includes honours for the most dog-friendly venue and animal rescue centre activity of the year. And pets themselves will scrap it out across seven categories, each to be narrowed down to three nominees before a winner is announced at a black-tie event in Kilkenny next month. These include the Helping Paw award – a Best Supporting Dog prize of sorts – for assistance or therapy dogs. The Favourite Feline category is reserved for cats, who, Ms Miller insisted, can feel 'overshadowed by the dogs.' And a lifetime achievement award is up for grabs in the Golden Oldie category, open to pets over seven years old. ? Enter your pet by Wednesday, May 14, here. The award ceremony takes place on Wednesday, June 11, at Sullivan's Taproom in Kilkenny.
