When I was 6 months old (ish) my father was relocated by his firm to Dublin, which initially pleased my mom, as she was originally from southern Ireland. Our family lived very happily there until my brother an I we of school age, then quite suddenly we came back to the UK.

Not long ago I asked mum why, when we had such a lovelly life there. She said an Irish Catholic education was not what she wanted for her children, she'd been there and wouldnt do it to us.
We left Ireland without her family, particularly her father, knowing until we were in her words 'safely back in England'.

People say how did they get away with it for so long, it is so difficult, I think, to understand the oppression of the Catholic Church unless you have actually experienced it.

I can only thank my mom for pursuading my dad to make the decision to leave, who knows what they saved me and my brother from.
I have also spoken recently to my cousins and believe me it went much further than institutions and orphanages.