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Don't Ever Tell: Kathy's Story
'I feel my story had to be told. So much evil was done there was a voice inside me shouting, "Justice".'
With no one to confide in, Kathy suffered in silence as she was battered by her father and molested by local boys.
At the age of eight, she was torn from her family and incarcerated in a series of Catholic homes. When she was sent to a psychiatric unit, she suffered terrifying electric- shock therapy and further cruelty at the hands of her supposed carers.
After ending up in a Magdalen laundry, she fell victim to sexual abuse and gave birth to baby Annie just weeks before her fourteenth birthday. Don't Ever Tell is Kathy's harrowing account of her ruined childhood and of her subsequent fight for justice.
With no one to confide in, Kathy suffered in silence as she was battered by her father and molested by local boys.
At the age of eight, she was torn from her family and incarcerated in a series of Catholic homes. When she was sent to a psychiatric unit, she suffered terrifying electric- shock therapy and further cruelty at the hands of her supposed carers.
After ending up in a Magdalen laundry, she fell victim to sexual abuse and gave birth to baby Annie just weeks before her fourteenth birthday. Don't Ever Tell is Kathy's harrowing account of her ruined childhood and of her subsequent fight for justice.
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 9, 2005
48 people are currently reading
6244 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 152 reviews
August 22, 2023
What went on in the Magalena Laundries and church run asylums and orphanages in Ireland right into the 1990s was a crime against humanity! so many children and vulnerable women died and suffered at the hands of these evil nuns and priests with the connivance of the Catholic Church hierarchy and the State.
Kathy had a horrific childhood, abused and raped, and battered and tortured from the age of five. I have a strong intuition and I know she is speaking the full truth,
Sad that people have to deny these things that happened to protect their Church juts like in UK many of those on the woke postmodern left and the Islamists deny the massive industrial sexual enslavement by many Muslim men against White , Hindu and Sikh British children. And of course you get sick people who deny the Holocaust too. When you deny crimes against women and children and others who are vulnerable you take them through suffering and death again, Don't do it for your own political or religious agenda.
Kathy had a horrific childhood, abused and raped, and battered and tortured from the age of five. I have a strong intuition and I know she is speaking the full truth,
Sad that people have to deny these things that happened to protect their Church juts like in UK many of those on the woke postmodern left and the Islamists deny the massive industrial sexual enslavement by many Muslim men against White , Hindu and Sikh British children. And of course you get sick people who deny the Holocaust too. When you deny crimes against women and children and others who are vulnerable you take them through suffering and death again, Don't do it for your own political or religious agenda.
January 13, 2014
What a load of crap. After reading about 70 pages, the story didn't ring true. While I understand that people do have horrendous lives and tales of abuse, this was so over the top. There did not seem to be a single person of influence that this young girl encountered who was kind to her. On the balance of probabilities, your going to come across a decent person somewhere along the way. Anyway, I did a search on the internet, and sure enough, the story was discovered to be a hoax. I'm familiar with the shameful history of the Catholic Church and the convent laundries but for this woman to make a buck of other's misery is shameful.
It put me in mind of the book "A Million Little Pieces" which also started to sound contrived about 50 pages into the story. The author was also found to be a liar but made millions from his supposedly true story of a his drug addiction and his recovery. I don't know why authors would think it would make the story more compelling to say that it's true. If they are going to go down that road, they should at least make it believable and do justice to those that actually lived it. Or better yet, the publishers of these books should get better fact checkers. I mean, it is the digital age after all. It can't be that difficult to get the facts straight. Sheesh. What a waste of time.
It put me in mind of the book "A Million Little Pieces" which also started to sound contrived about 50 pages into the story. The author was also found to be a liar but made millions from his supposedly true story of a his drug addiction and his recovery. I don't know why authors would think it would make the story more compelling to say that it's true. If they are going to go down that road, they should at least make it believable and do justice to those that actually lived it. Or better yet, the publishers of these books should get better fact checkers. I mean, it is the digital age after all. It can't be that difficult to get the facts straight. Sheesh. What a waste of time.
November 28, 2012
As has been well documented by now, “Kathy’s Story/Don’t Ever Tell” was an elaborate hoax. The whole unsavory case tells us a lot about the culture of lies, deceit and false accusations targeting the Catholic Church since 2002. The book became a best-seller in Ireland and Britain. Yes, incredibly, 400,000 people were conned. In reality, they are but a tiny fraction of the millions who have been duped over the last decade.
Kathy O’Beirne claims she spent years as a slave to sadistic nuns in the Magdalene laundries (institutions run by the Catholic church to house young women and unmarried mothers), how she was raped there by two priests, gave birth at the age of 13, and how she had her hand thrust into boiling fat by her alcoholic father.
It came as little surprise when family, friends, official records and respected journalist Hermann Kelly (author of “Kathy’s Real Story”) revealed that this deeply disturbed former psychiatric patient, who has a criminal record for dishonesty, made it all up.
The daughter she claims she bore at the age of 13 did not exist. And a priest who allegedly raped and beat her suffered from such severe arthritis he could not even shake hands. Moreover, she tried to bribe a friend (Margaret Power) to be a "witness" to that rape. According to official records and eyewitness statements, she was never even in a Magdalene laundry. Nonetheless, she has threatened to have those who challenge her account "dealt with."
A planned sequel to the book was unceremoniously dumped by publisher Hodder Headline in 2009.
Of course, lurid tales of child abuse and misery sell books and newspapers. False accusations can yield significant financial gain, and seldom receive or even require corroboration. In the last 3 years alone 173 false accusations have been lodged against Catholic priests in the US. In that time there have been approximately 21 accusations involving a current minor that were even deemed "credible." That is a far lower figure than is the case in other religions. The three companies that insure the majority of Protestant churches in America state that they typically receive upward of 260 reports each year of young people under 18 being sexually abused by clergy, church staff, volunteers or congregation members.
Yet those numbers are dwarfed by the abuse taking place in public schools in the US and other countries, and in society at large (stepfathers, uncles, scout leaders, coaches, teachers, and so on). The author of a 2004 report commissioned by the US Department of Education, Hofstra University’s Charol Shakeshaft, said, “The physical sexual abuse of students in schools is likely more than 100 times the abuse by priests.” Meanwhile, according to government numbers, in 2010 alone, there were some 63,527 reported cases of child sexual abuse in the United States.
So how was Kathy O’Beirne able to con so many people? Because, although child sexual abuse is a societal problem, as Professor Philip Jenkins has pointed out, our tendency as a society is to seek simplistic answers for complex social problems. Couple that with a media that today seeks to form public opinion rather than inform the public, and you can see why O’Beirne’s fabrication would meet a receptive audience, all too ready to embrace yet another “victim” of a big, bad institution. None of which should diminish our concern for genuine victims of abuse, who are done a disservice by false accusations like O’Beirne’s.
Although the Catholic Church has put its house in order (most of its abuse cases were from the mid 1960s to early 1980s), other institutions have not. Until they do, we are likely to see more “misery literature” – hopefully based on fact, not fiction.
PS I am happy to provide references for the above quotes and statistics, all of which are publicly available.
Kathy O’Beirne claims she spent years as a slave to sadistic nuns in the Magdalene laundries (institutions run by the Catholic church to house young women and unmarried mothers), how she was raped there by two priests, gave birth at the age of 13, and how she had her hand thrust into boiling fat by her alcoholic father.
It came as little surprise when family, friends, official records and respected journalist Hermann Kelly (author of “Kathy’s Real Story”) revealed that this deeply disturbed former psychiatric patient, who has a criminal record for dishonesty, made it all up.
The daughter she claims she bore at the age of 13 did not exist. And a priest who allegedly raped and beat her suffered from such severe arthritis he could not even shake hands. Moreover, she tried to bribe a friend (Margaret Power) to be a "witness" to that rape. According to official records and eyewitness statements, she was never even in a Magdalene laundry. Nonetheless, she has threatened to have those who challenge her account "dealt with."
A planned sequel to the book was unceremoniously dumped by publisher Hodder Headline in 2009.
Of course, lurid tales of child abuse and misery sell books and newspapers. False accusations can yield significant financial gain, and seldom receive or even require corroboration. In the last 3 years alone 173 false accusations have been lodged against Catholic priests in the US. In that time there have been approximately 21 accusations involving a current minor that were even deemed "credible." That is a far lower figure than is the case in other religions. The three companies that insure the majority of Protestant churches in America state that they typically receive upward of 260 reports each year of young people under 18 being sexually abused by clergy, church staff, volunteers or congregation members.
Yet those numbers are dwarfed by the abuse taking place in public schools in the US and other countries, and in society at large (stepfathers, uncles, scout leaders, coaches, teachers, and so on). The author of a 2004 report commissioned by the US Department of Education, Hofstra University’s Charol Shakeshaft, said, “The physical sexual abuse of students in schools is likely more than 100 times the abuse by priests.” Meanwhile, according to government numbers, in 2010 alone, there were some 63,527 reported cases of child sexual abuse in the United States.
So how was Kathy O’Beirne able to con so many people? Because, although child sexual abuse is a societal problem, as Professor Philip Jenkins has pointed out, our tendency as a society is to seek simplistic answers for complex social problems. Couple that with a media that today seeks to form public opinion rather than inform the public, and you can see why O’Beirne’s fabrication would meet a receptive audience, all too ready to embrace yet another “victim” of a big, bad institution. None of which should diminish our concern for genuine victims of abuse, who are done a disservice by false accusations like O’Beirne’s.
Although the Catholic Church has put its house in order (most of its abuse cases were from the mid 1960s to early 1980s), other institutions have not. Until they do, we are likely to see more “misery literature” – hopefully based on fact, not fiction.
PS I am happy to provide references for the above quotes and statistics, all of which are publicly available.
October 22, 2024
It was sort of an autobiography and it just horrifies me how cruel a society can be. And the book actually made me feel grateful for everything that I've had in my life. This book made me cry a bit, and those who have read it will know why.
July 21, 2016
The general impression is that this book has now been outed as a hoax - which is truly terrible and frankly, insults everyone who was ever abused as a child. However, I am going to attempt to write this review as if it was written as a piece of fiction, instead of an attempt to deceive the public.
The story is set in rural Ireland, where young Kathy is living with her parents and siblings. Her father is abusive, both mentally and physically, but Kathy is close with her mother and enjoys rough-housing with her brothers. She also attends school and goes to church, as per the usual customs of the time.
However, this changes when Kathy is subject to a horrific rape on the eve of her first Holy Communion. And so begins a lifetime of abuse by almost every adult she encounters. Her father does not want her around, so sends her to live in a convent for unruly young girls. Here, most of the nuns take pleasure in abusing their charges physically, mentally, sexually and emotionally, whilst expecting the young women to work long hours in the attached launder sites. This begins yet another pattern of abuse by members of the Clergy, supposed 'volunteers' and do-gooders. Kathy also at one point ends up in a mental institution where - you guessed it - she is abused by the nurses and orderlies and subjected to terrifying electric convulsive therapy. It is a wonder she survives at all, for almost every adult she encounters during childhood is an abuser or a paedophile.
O'Beirne paints a convincing story. I read her book three or four times before deciding to research a little more about her, and came across all the evidence online that suggests she made everything up after watching a movie called The Magdelene Sisters. I do not doubt that the author has had a difficult life - she has been in prison and probably has been taken advantage of by others around her - but why she decided to con the public into believing this tale I do not know. Her supposed work to find justice for the unknown laundry girls is difficult to confirm. Even today, a lot of mystery and secrecy shrouds this dark time in Ireland's history.
So yes, I was convinced this was a true life memoir. As such, it should be given the minimum one star for the alleged lies it has told. However, in the interests of fairness until such is proven - I have given this book three stars and approached it as a work of fiction. I am still not quite sure what to believe. Maybe we will never find out.
The story is set in rural Ireland, where young Kathy is living with her parents and siblings. Her father is abusive, both mentally and physically, but Kathy is close with her mother and enjoys rough-housing with her brothers. She also attends school and goes to church, as per the usual customs of the time.
However, this changes when Kathy is subject to a horrific rape on the eve of her first Holy Communion. And so begins a lifetime of abuse by almost every adult she encounters. Her father does not want her around, so sends her to live in a convent for unruly young girls. Here, most of the nuns take pleasure in abusing their charges physically, mentally, sexually and emotionally, whilst expecting the young women to work long hours in the attached launder sites. This begins yet another pattern of abuse by members of the Clergy, supposed 'volunteers' and do-gooders. Kathy also at one point ends up in a mental institution where - you guessed it - she is abused by the nurses and orderlies and subjected to terrifying electric convulsive therapy. It is a wonder she survives at all, for almost every adult she encounters during childhood is an abuser or a paedophile.
O'Beirne paints a convincing story. I read her book three or four times before deciding to research a little more about her, and came across all the evidence online that suggests she made everything up after watching a movie called The Magdelene Sisters. I do not doubt that the author has had a difficult life - she has been in prison and probably has been taken advantage of by others around her - but why she decided to con the public into believing this tale I do not know. Her supposed work to find justice for the unknown laundry girls is difficult to confirm. Even today, a lot of mystery and secrecy shrouds this dark time in Ireland's history.
So yes, I was convinced this was a true life memoir. As such, it should be given the minimum one star for the alleged lies it has told. However, in the interests of fairness until such is proven - I have given this book three stars and approached it as a work of fiction. I am still not quite sure what to believe. Maybe we will never find out.
September 23, 2015
After watching the movie "The Magdalen Sisters" I wanted to know more about the Magdalen laundries and it's victims.
While many believe that this is a fabricated story the author sticks to her claim that it's true and I believe her. I have done a lot of research on the internet and know that many women and girls suffered horribly in these laundries.
This is one of my favorite books.
This book is the same as "Don't Ever Tell: Kathy's Story: A True Tale of a Childhood Destroyed by Neglect and Fear" just thought I would let you all know so you don't buy this book twice.
While many believe that this is a fabricated story the author sticks to her claim that it's true and I believe her. I have done a lot of research on the internet and know that many women and girls suffered horribly in these laundries.
This is one of my favorite books.
This book is the same as "Don't Ever Tell: Kathy's Story: A True Tale of a Childhood Destroyed by Neglect and Fear" just thought I would let you all know so you don't buy this book twice.
December 26, 2012
Read this book and then discovered that it has been discounted as being untrue, which I found very disappointing. this really disturbed me as people who write these books only give leverage to those who want to believe that these things only happen rarely and that most are false accusations. It does a grave disservice to those who truly have suffered abuse and gives voice to those who insist that the majority of claims are false or have little impact. However that being said I wonder if there isn't some truth to the story in the same vane as A million little pieces, is now listed as semi-fictional.
June 25, 2025
I’m choosing not to rate this book—because it’s more than just a story; it feels like someone’s life laid bare on the page. I’ve seen the claims suggesting it might all be an elaborate hoax, and honestly, I don’t know what to believe. What I do know is that the book tells the story of a little girl growing into a woman, surviving horrific, unthinkable experiences—while being met with silence, doubt, and disbelief at every turn. That alone makes it feel wrong to reduce this to a star rating.
(And just to be clear—the five stars aren’t my rating. I only chose them because the unfilled stars were going to bother me ❗️)
If this story is true, I hope with everything that the author finds peace and the gentlest, happiest ending imaginable. And if it isn’t, then it’s not just disappointing—it’s a betrayal. A disservice to every woman and child who has lived through real versions of this trauma and fought to be heard.
(And just to be clear—the five stars aren’t my rating. I only chose them because the unfilled stars were going to bother me ❗️)
If this story is true, I hope with everything that the author finds peace and the gentlest, happiest ending imaginable. And if it isn’t, then it’s not just disappointing—it’s a betrayal. A disservice to every woman and child who has lived through real versions of this trauma and fought to be heard.
September 6, 2011
Chilling is not the word for this book. It is horrific and appalling how these State institutions in Ireland were treating their youngsters and female occupants.
I have read articles that claim this book to be untrue, however untrue or not I personally believe that there must be certain aspects that are true and it is up to the individual reader what they believe. Nobody can deny though that some of the torture and abuse that is written in this book has taken place at one time or another somewhere and for those victims I believe that it is important for people to open their eyes at these terrible possibilities.
It is a gripping book and I read it within a few days. I feel that although we'll never know everything that is happening at any one time people these days seem to be more open and there doesn't seem to be many 'family secrets' as years ago. People are more accepting today rather than have stigma's about, for example, unmarried couples and having children out of wedlock, and therefore there are less reasons for people to be 'hidden' or suppressed, hopefully making it less likely for victims of this to be abused!
I'm no fool and appreciate that there are evils out there but I'd like to think that abuse on the scale that this book is regarding, where the State do not intervene, are left in the past and hopefully people are more aware and outspoken of such things.
All in all, it is an eye opening book whether true or not, and I personally believe that Kathy O'Beirne is recalling the abuse that she received, maybe there are the odd exaggerations as our memories can alter slightly over time. On the other hand, there could be more that we haven't heard about. She does say that there were some things even now she finds too difficult to think about and I think that this is a brave attempt to come forward to encourage people to take an interest for all those that have suffered.
I have read articles that claim this book to be untrue, however untrue or not I personally believe that there must be certain aspects that are true and it is up to the individual reader what they believe. Nobody can deny though that some of the torture and abuse that is written in this book has taken place at one time or another somewhere and for those victims I believe that it is important for people to open their eyes at these terrible possibilities.
It is a gripping book and I read it within a few days. I feel that although we'll never know everything that is happening at any one time people these days seem to be more open and there doesn't seem to be many 'family secrets' as years ago. People are more accepting today rather than have stigma's about, for example, unmarried couples and having children out of wedlock, and therefore there are less reasons for people to be 'hidden' or suppressed, hopefully making it less likely for victims of this to be abused!
I'm no fool and appreciate that there are evils out there but I'd like to think that abuse on the scale that this book is regarding, where the State do not intervene, are left in the past and hopefully people are more aware and outspoken of such things.
All in all, it is an eye opening book whether true or not, and I personally believe that Kathy O'Beirne is recalling the abuse that she received, maybe there are the odd exaggerations as our memories can alter slightly over time. On the other hand, there could be more that we haven't heard about. She does say that there were some things even now she finds too difficult to think about and I think that this is a brave attempt to come forward to encourage people to take an interest for all those that have suffered.
June 6, 2019
trigger warning: rape, sexual assault, physical abuse, emotional abuse, gaslighting, etc.
if this story is 100% true, then it deserves 5 stars due to its intricate account of the horrors that went on at the magdalene laundries and the extreme bravery it would have taken for the author to write this memoir and relive the events in detail. however, one google search announces that the entire story is fabricated. this is why it is only given 3 stars, because I know that these horrors did occur to many women in the laundries; just perhaps not all to Kathy. I am conflicted about the story. it would be incredibly sad if the author fabricated her story for monetary gain, thus hurting all of the women who actually experienced these horrors. however, it is also plausible that she is indeed telling the truth, and that the allegations of forgery are just voices who try to shut up the abuse that happened in the Catholic church. we may never know, but I will always side with the victim.
if this story is 100% true, then it deserves 5 stars due to its intricate account of the horrors that went on at the magdalene laundries and the extreme bravery it would have taken for the author to write this memoir and relive the events in detail. however, one google search announces that the entire story is fabricated. this is why it is only given 3 stars, because I know that these horrors did occur to many women in the laundries; just perhaps not all to Kathy. I am conflicted about the story. it would be incredibly sad if the author fabricated her story for monetary gain, thus hurting all of the women who actually experienced these horrors. however, it is also plausible that she is indeed telling the truth, and that the allegations of forgery are just voices who try to shut up the abuse that happened in the Catholic church. we may never know, but I will always side with the victim.
April 9, 2024
This is problematic for me to review. The real life story of Kathy the author is hard to read in parts. It is raw and full of injustice, horrors and abuse of humankind in Ireland at the hands of nuns and priests , parents and elders , child to child in the second half of the 20th century. It is shocking.
However as a read, ( and I say this as one not accustomed to reading autobiography) whilst it is telling a true story and the telling is admirable it is just not a very good read . It reads as it is, as a first hand account- but the language is limited and with the focus on the single victim ( primarily) it just reads as a catalogue and I ended up getting bored … I hadn’t got invested in character and plot ( chronological story of her life) and ended up feeling sorry for her but little else
This all sounds mean. It is not a novel.
However as a read, ( and I say this as one not accustomed to reading autobiography) whilst it is telling a true story and the telling is admirable it is just not a very good read . It reads as it is, as a first hand account- but the language is limited and with the focus on the single victim ( primarily) it just reads as a catalogue and I ended up getting bored … I hadn’t got invested in character and plot ( chronological story of her life) and ended up feeling sorry for her but little else
This all sounds mean. It is not a novel.
March 26, 2010
I was sooooo disappointed when looking this book up on internet i found out it was all a lie. I lived in Ireland 5 years and I love it, and i feel a bit irish, I wanted to know more about the magdalene sisters, especially after watching the film and I thought this book was a brilliant testimony of what happened during those years, I mean there where even pictures of her best friend corroded stomach after swallowing batteries to get out of the laundries. This book made a mockery of all the readers that felt pity and sadness for this woman.
November 20, 2008
I have no doubts that the Magdalene Laundries were horrific, but while reading this book I felt that it was the "everything plus the kitchen sink" approach in piling on the misery. It rang false, and then I looked online to find out that the book has been called into question. The amount of unreliable memoirs being revealed at the moment is astounding.
July 18, 2018
Yet another heartbreaking story of the evil in the world. Kathy O'Beirne writes of abuse by her father and her life condemned to Irish reform schools and the Magdalen laundries. There is some controversy over whether or not the things O'Beirne writes about actually happened to her. I don't know...but if only one thing happened, that was too many. It's hard to believe that all of this happened to one person; I have read enough and studied enough history to know, however, that all of this horrors did happen, even if O'Beirne did not suffer them all. Humans can be incredibly cruel. And many "great" institutions have a lot of blood on their hands.
February 15, 2014
This book was a complete hoax. I read it a few years ago and at the time felt that some of the detail didn't ring true. I later found out that it was a hoax. There were many young girls that were mistreated by Nuns in Catholic Ireland, many have been scarred for life. To make up such a story is just disgusting and makes people doubt those that have genuine stories to tell.
May 5, 2011
I tried and tried, just can not get into this one :( With so many more choices out there I will gladly move on to another story.
October 6, 2012
One of those books of tragedy that leave you feeling sad and angry with the world.
July 5, 2024
*I wrote my review (below) prior to finding out the book was outed as being a hoax and isn’t true. Regardless, I’m leaving my original review because that is how the book made me feel after having read it. It’s unfortunate that someone did this to make money, as there are accounts of the laundries, which are true, and childhood abuse on all levels happens around the world every, single day. No one should make up something as horrific as the stories in this book just to make money from it. That is disgraceful, disturbing, and she should be ashamed of herself.
———————————————————————————————
Kathy O’Beirne is incredibly brave. It takes bravery to retell the horrific, sickening things that were inflicted and forced upon you relentlessly as a child and for your entire first 18 years on this Earth. And when it stops…it doesn’t. It never does.
Retelling the things of this nature that deeply scar you, permanently alter your life, as well as your brain pathways and thought process, causing CPTSD (and stemming from that comes severe anxiety, depression, self-doubt and loathing, OCD, and a whole host of other mental disorders), is almost like self-harm, in itself. But she did it and continues to do it because others are still suffering. She also selflessly did it to try and fight for justice that has never come to all those lost or who have passed.
Part of Karhy’s story we’re told in such graphic detail that I had to skip a few paragraphs here and there. It was too difficult and triggering for me to read those parts, but as Kathy writes, it must be told. Light must be shed on what was (and in some cases still IS being) done to innocent children, teens, and even adults still trapped in the system still today.
May everyone affected find peace and safety and love.
Thank you, Kathy, for your strength, bravery, and tenacity in the telling of your story and for continuing to fight for those who couldn’t.
———————————————————————————————
Kathy O’Beirne is incredibly brave. It takes bravery to retell the horrific, sickening things that were inflicted and forced upon you relentlessly as a child and for your entire first 18 years on this Earth. And when it stops…it doesn’t. It never does.
Retelling the things of this nature that deeply scar you, permanently alter your life, as well as your brain pathways and thought process, causing CPTSD (and stemming from that comes severe anxiety, depression, self-doubt and loathing, OCD, and a whole host of other mental disorders), is almost like self-harm, in itself. But she did it and continues to do it because others are still suffering. She also selflessly did it to try and fight for justice that has never come to all those lost or who have passed.
Part of Karhy’s story we’re told in such graphic detail that I had to skip a few paragraphs here and there. It was too difficult and triggering for me to read those parts, but as Kathy writes, it must be told. Light must be shed on what was (and in some cases still IS being) done to innocent children, teens, and even adults still trapped in the system still today.
May everyone affected find peace and safety and love.
Thank you, Kathy, for your strength, bravery, and tenacity in the telling of your story and for continuing to fight for those who couldn’t.
July 22, 2025
Historia Kathy O’Beirne to opowieść, która budzi poruszenie i przerażenie. Trudno uwierzyć, że tak ogromne cierpienie mogło spotkać jedno dziecko, i choć wiele z tych doświadczeń zostało zakwestionowanych, to emocjonalna siła tej książki pozostaje uderzająca.
Kathy opisuje dzieciństwo pełne przemocy-fizycznej, psychicznej i seksualnej. Wychowywana przez brutalnego ojca, wykorzystywana przez starszych chłopców, odrzucona przez system, który uznał ją za „nienadającą się do życia społecznego”, trafia do kościelnych i państwowych placówek opiekuńczych. Tam doświadczyła, jak twierdzi, piekła-bicia, upokorzeń, niewolniczej pracy, szczególnie w tzw. pralniach magdalenek, prowadzonych przez zakonnice.
Po lekturze trudno nie sięgnąć po informacje na temat działalności irlandzkich domów prowadzonych przez Kościół. Z perspektywy czasu wiadomo, że wiele kobiet rzeczywiście padło ofiarą okrutnych praktyk, a państwo przez dekady nie interweniowało.
Warto jednak wspomnieć, że opowieść Kathy O’Beirne nie pozostała wolna od kontrowersji. Część faktów zawartych w książce nie została potwierdzona, a samo rodzeństwo autorki publicznie zakwestionowało jej relację, twierdząc, że wiele z opisywanych wydarzeń to zmyślenia. Ten cień wątpliwości nie przekreśla jednak całkowicie wartości książki jako głosu osób skrzywdzonych przez system, zwłaszcza że autorka upiera się przy prawdziwości swoich wspomnień, a podobne historie były potwierdzane w niezależnych raportach.
Kathy opisuje dzieciństwo pełne przemocy-fizycznej, psychicznej i seksualnej. Wychowywana przez brutalnego ojca, wykorzystywana przez starszych chłopców, odrzucona przez system, który uznał ją za „nienadającą się do życia społecznego”, trafia do kościelnych i państwowych placówek opiekuńczych. Tam doświadczyła, jak twierdzi, piekła-bicia, upokorzeń, niewolniczej pracy, szczególnie w tzw. pralniach magdalenek, prowadzonych przez zakonnice.
Po lekturze trudno nie sięgnąć po informacje na temat działalności irlandzkich domów prowadzonych przez Kościół. Z perspektywy czasu wiadomo, że wiele kobiet rzeczywiście padło ofiarą okrutnych praktyk, a państwo przez dekady nie interweniowało.
Warto jednak wspomnieć, że opowieść Kathy O’Beirne nie pozostała wolna od kontrowersji. Część faktów zawartych w książce nie została potwierdzona, a samo rodzeństwo autorki publicznie zakwestionowało jej relację, twierdząc, że wiele z opisywanych wydarzeń to zmyślenia. Ten cień wątpliwości nie przekreśla jednak całkowicie wartości książki jako głosu osób skrzywdzonych przez system, zwłaszcza że autorka upiera się przy prawdziwości swoich wspomnień, a podobne historie były potwierdzane w niezależnych raportach.
November 1, 2025
One thing I dislike doing is putting stars on someone's horrific life story. It's like saying, yes, I love the pain and suffering you went through so that I could stay engaged and horrified as I read the trauma and suffering you went through, and here I am doing just that.
My heart is sad that experiences like this happen in the world and so many young people suffer serious harm because of it. My body was involved, my heart ached, and I cried. How can people be so hateful and do such awful things to others, both children and adults?
The author had an inner strength about her that, though dysfunctional, she was able to find ways to survive such horrific abuse from the nuns and priests. It just makes me sick and so very angry. In the end it makes me so mad that everything is such a cover up and there is minimal acknowledgement of the atrocities that happened, and the language that everything was fine and nothing out of the ordinary happened, and things go on as 'normal'. That makes me furious. There are so many layers of cover up when obviously everyone knows what everyone did. It makes my heart break for the people who were broken so badly during this time.
I hope one day as the author and others fight there will be proper acknowledgement through both words and actions so that more healing can be had for the girls and women from the era of the Magdalene laundries.
My heart is sad that experiences like this happen in the world and so many young people suffer serious harm because of it. My body was involved, my heart ached, and I cried. How can people be so hateful and do such awful things to others, both children and adults?
The author had an inner strength about her that, though dysfunctional, she was able to find ways to survive such horrific abuse from the nuns and priests. It just makes me sick and so very angry. In the end it makes me so mad that everything is such a cover up and there is minimal acknowledgement of the atrocities that happened, and the language that everything was fine and nothing out of the ordinary happened, and things go on as 'normal'. That makes me furious. There are so many layers of cover up when obviously everyone knows what everyone did. It makes my heart break for the people who were broken so badly during this time.
I hope one day as the author and others fight there will be proper acknowledgement through both words and actions so that more healing can be had for the girls and women from the era of the Magdalene laundries.
January 18, 2022
Honestly not sure what to make of this, after finding out this book may be a work of fiction. I agree some things don't add up, such as the lack of education, yet it being so well written and detailed. But I cannot believe that someone could make this up, or that she had been awarded the money from the state if it was found she wasn't there. Many of the women there had no record of being there, also the extent of abuse and trauma can cause lost or missing years, which could explain where the dates didn't add up, also other victims denying it, could be their defense mechanism, but then again these things could be not adding up because the accusations of this account being false are correct and she has stole someone else's story, which if that is the case is entirely disrespectful to those that have actually experienced abuse. No one but Kathy and those that "abused" her will know the truth, but hope that the true victims whether that includes her or not find their reprieve, as for those accused if Kathy's account is true, if it is her tale or some else's I hope your karma comes and it makes you wish for a death that never comes.
December 22, 2019
Příběh podle skutečných událostí, podle jednoho smutného života již od dětství 😔
Autorka popisuje krutost a strach, které se linou celým jejím tragickým životem. Životem, který už v dětství pokřivil agresivní otec svou tyranií a surovostí. Životem, ve kterém ji chlapci že sousedství sexuálně zneužívali. Životem, ve kterém ji již v osmi letech otec odtrhl od rodiny a milující maminky a dál na "převýchovu" k jeptiškám. V přísně katolickém Irsku Kathy prošla několika institucemi, které zaštiťovala církev, ale lásku, pochopení, pomocnou ruku zde nenašla.
Strastiplná pouť pokračovala psychiatrii, těhotenstvím v dospívání, otrockou práci v prádelně, sexuálním zneužívánįm,vězením...
*
Syrový příběh lidské krutosti a zvěrstva páchaného na těch nejslabších a bezbranných. Na těch, které bychom měli milovat, vychovávat, hýčkat. To vše pod záštitou bohulibé instituce, církve. A z toho je mi osobně na blití. Pro mě další střípek dokazující, že církev je prostě banda pokrytců, kteří pod záštitou charity a dobrosrdečnosti, páchají jedny z nejohavnějších zvěrstev.
Autorka popisuje krutost a strach, které se linou celým jejím tragickým životem. Životem, který už v dětství pokřivil agresivní otec svou tyranií a surovostí. Životem, ve kterém ji chlapci že sousedství sexuálně zneužívali. Životem, ve kterém ji již v osmi letech otec odtrhl od rodiny a milující maminky a dál na "převýchovu" k jeptiškám. V přísně katolickém Irsku Kathy prošla několika institucemi, které zaštiťovala církev, ale lásku, pochopení, pomocnou ruku zde nenašla.
Strastiplná pouť pokračovala psychiatrii, těhotenstvím v dospívání, otrockou práci v prádelně, sexuálním zneužívánįm,vězením...
*
Syrový příběh lidské krutosti a zvěrstva páchaného na těch nejslabších a bezbranných. Na těch, které bychom měli milovat, vychovávat, hýčkat. To vše pod záštitou bohulibé instituce, církve. A z toho je mi osobně na blití. Pro mě další střípek dokazující, že církev je prostě banda pokrytců, kteří pod záštitou charity a dobrosrdečnosti, páchají jedny z nejohavnějších zvěrstev.
November 22, 2024
I believe this is the same book I have. Mine is just called Kathy's Story and has a subtitle "The True Story of a Childhood Hell Inside Ireland's Magdalen Laundries"
So I do not know what this book is supposed to be but it was not what I was looking for. The basic facts of the story are horrifying. That anyone would have to go through something like that is just awful. That people think she's lying about it is also awful.
But I have to say, the writing of this book is just bad. Did anyone edit it? It reads like a long meandering story from your elderly mom told in a dry almost clinical "just the facts" type of way that detracts from how emotional and heartbreaking this story actually is. There are some occasional sections that are extremely touching but A LOT of the book is written in a - this happened, then this happened, I said this she said that, I did this, this happened to me, this happened to her - type of style. There's a way to write nonfiction that is true to the message and still captures the reader - this ain't it.
So I do not know what this book is supposed to be but it was not what I was looking for. The basic facts of the story are horrifying. That anyone would have to go through something like that is just awful. That people think she's lying about it is also awful.
But I have to say, the writing of this book is just bad. Did anyone edit it? It reads like a long meandering story from your elderly mom told in a dry almost clinical "just the facts" type of way that detracts from how emotional and heartbreaking this story actually is. There are some occasional sections that are extremely touching but A LOT of the book is written in a - this happened, then this happened, I said this she said that, I did this, this happened to me, this happened to her - type of style. There's a way to write nonfiction that is true to the message and still captures the reader - this ain't it.
January 4, 2019
When reading the blurb of this book I knew it would be a harrowing story but I thought it would be an informative read about an aspect of modern history I am less aware of. I also noticed that it claimed to be a biography which I thought was strange as it was clearly a book written about herself (maybe I was looking into that too much). After reading the first few chapters about the abuse Kathy suffered at the hands of her father at such a young age I was surprised that she survived childhood. I was curious about what O'Beirne does now over a decade after her book was published but after a Google search I found out that the book was a hoax. I have read several articles rather than just believe the first one I read but they seem to disprove her claims. I plan on reading Herman Kelly's 'Kathy's Real Story' to make a more decisive conclusion about O'Beirne's story.
April 28, 2023
When reading tales of abuse, nothing boils my blood more than the fact so many people could have stopped things but didn't. The neighbour who heard screaming yet didn't bother to call the police, the teacher who ignored all the warning signs of a child being abused and instead labelled them a troublemaker or a difficult child. The doctor ignoring all warning signs also, saying that the child has just a troublesome mind yet not giving a damn about why that may be. It's like they just choose to ignore it because it's easier than getting involved for them, and people who do that make me sick. You see in a lot of cases whether it's abuse or kidnapping or murder that the police especially fail so many victims and it's like what have you been trained for?!!
A shocking read, and it's very brave of you to share your story.
A shocking read, and it's very brave of you to share your story.
December 10, 2017
As a young girl, Kathy was brought up in an abusive household where she was physically and mentally abused by her father. He then sent her off to a reformatory school, where she was then passed over to a psychiatric hospital and she was then carted off to one of the dreaded Magdalen Laundries. This is her harrowing account of her ruined childhood and of her fight for justice.
Kathy’s story both shocked and saddened me. I was even more shocked to find out that it was a hoax. But regardless of that, it still feels like a story that needed to be told. True or not, you can just imagine what life was like for those who were actually put in those places. She did paint quite the picture and I am now interested in learning more about the Magdalen Laundries.
Kathy’s story both shocked and saddened me. I was even more shocked to find out that it was a hoax. But regardless of that, it still feels like a story that needed to be told. True or not, you can just imagine what life was like for those who were actually put in those places. She did paint quite the picture and I am now interested in learning more about the Magdalen Laundries.
March 3, 2018
I am more inclined to read popular or hyped books. When my classmate lent this book to me, I was intrigued when I found out that it is non-fiction (since I mostly read fiction). After reading the blurb, I became hesitant. The title itself screams dread and trauma. But I told myself that I have to start reading non-fictions and expand my understanding of heavy topics.
Before reading the book, my classmate told me that she was very frustrated all throughout the book because of the horrendous things that happened to Kathy.
Once I started reading the foreword up to the first few chapters, I felt pity towards her (Kathy) and rage towards the people that had done her wrong (abused, beat-up, raped). I had issues with the writing style because it didn't seem to flow smoothly. But I disregarded it and continued with the story.
I was already seeing plot/loopholes yet I rewired my mind to be heedless of these errors since it is "non-fiction." I felt like it would be amoral to judge non-fictions specifically with how things happened. People don't always have control with everything that's happening with their lives, especially her who was a child when the unforgivable things happened.
When I got around page 190 of this book, I went to my goodreads account and marked it as 'currently-reading.' To be honest, I did not drop this book because I wanted to know what would happen to her and how she would get her 'justice.' So when I scrolled through the reviews of this book and saw the ratings, I was indifferent. But when I actually started reading the reviews, I was aghast. According to multiple reviews, this book is a hoax. I did some further research and found out that this book is just based from a movie she watched and victims she had interviewed. It was like being sucker punched. I was dazed and furious for letting myself overlook at all the errors of this book.
After figuring out that this book is a hoax, I still finished this book to see more plotholes and identify more errors, and honestly, to add to my 'read' pile of books.
PS
-If there's anything this book gave me, it's trust issues. Can you imagine? Publishers, editors and so many "professionals" involved had to scrutinize this book before actually publishing it. Yet, it was still published. I can't believe people would use someone's misery for their self-interest. Fucking bastards.
-From this experience, I learned to check the validity and credibility of a non-fiction book prior to actually reading it.
-Lastly, paper is flammable.
Before reading the book, my classmate told me that she was very frustrated all throughout the book because of the horrendous things that happened to Kathy.
Once I started reading the foreword up to the first few chapters, I felt pity towards her (Kathy) and rage towards the people that had done her wrong (abused, beat-up, raped). I had issues with the writing style because it didn't seem to flow smoothly. But I disregarded it and continued with the story.
I was already seeing plot/loopholes yet I rewired my mind to be heedless of these errors since it is "non-fiction." I felt like it would be amoral to judge non-fictions specifically with how things happened. People don't always have control with everything that's happening with their lives, especially her who was a child when the unforgivable things happened.
When I got around page 190 of this book, I went to my goodreads account and marked it as 'currently-reading.' To be honest, I did not drop this book because I wanted to know what would happen to her and how she would get her 'justice.' So when I scrolled through the reviews of this book and saw the ratings, I was indifferent. But when I actually started reading the reviews, I was aghast. According to multiple reviews, this book is a hoax. I did some further research and found out that this book is just based from a movie she watched and victims she had interviewed. It was like being sucker punched. I was dazed and furious for letting myself overlook at all the errors of this book.
After figuring out that this book is a hoax, I still finished this book to see more plotholes and identify more errors, and honestly, to add to my 'read' pile of books.
PS
-If there's anything this book gave me, it's trust issues. Can you imagine? Publishers, editors and so many "professionals" involved had to scrutinize this book before actually publishing it. Yet, it was still published. I can't believe people would use someone's misery for their self-interest. Fucking bastards.
-From this experience, I learned to check the validity and credibility of a non-fiction book prior to actually reading it.
-Lastly, paper is flammable.
January 3, 2025
I was absolutely horrified by reading the first chapter and could not stop after that. I felt it was absolutely necessary for me to listen to O’Beirne’s story.
Kathy suffered in deafening silence as she was abused relentlessly by her father and molested by the local boys in her town. At the tender age of eight, she was torn away from her family due to her incredibly spiteful father and incarcerated in a series of Catholic “homes”. We follow her on a tragic journey whereby solace is a long road away. “Don't Ever Tell” is Kathy's unbelievably formidable account of her ruined childhood and her extraordinary attempt to speak the truth. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀
Kathy suffered in deafening silence as she was abused relentlessly by her father and molested by the local boys in her town. At the tender age of eight, she was torn away from her family due to her incredibly spiteful father and incarcerated in a series of Catholic “homes”. We follow her on a tragic journey whereby solace is a long road away. “Don't Ever Tell” is Kathy's unbelievably formidable account of her ruined childhood and her extraordinary attempt to speak the truth. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀
January 25, 2020
Hodně depresivní kniha, ale velice působivá. Dětství s otcem tyranem-psychopatem, v institucích jako reformní škola, psychiatrická léčebna a prádelnách Máří Magdaleny, zneužívání moci, krutost.. Po přečtení jsem si vyhledala články o autorce, některé tvrdí, že ne všechno je její autobiografie. I kdyby byla z toho co Kathy píše pravda jen třeba 10%, tak i to stačí na to, jak je to děsné, co všechno se v Irsku dělo ještě do nedávna. Pokud se nebojíte nočních můr, doporučuji přečíst.
October 19, 2020
I finished this book and was ready to give it a 5 star rating. I looked up the author on the internet after I finished the book to see if she was still alive, etc. and read that this book was considered by many, if not most, to be a complete hoax/fabrication. This makes me very sad as I know that many children were abused through the Catholic Church and this really is an insult and disservice to them.
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