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A Woman to Blame: The Kerry Babies Case
Joanne Hayes, at 24 years of age, concealed the birth and death of her baby in County Kerry, Ireland, in 1984. Subsequently she confessed to the murder, by stabbing, of another baby. All of the scientific evidence showed that she could not have had this second baby. The police nevertheless, insisted on charging her and, after the charges were dropped, continued to insist that she had given birth to twins conceived of two different men. A public tribunal of inquiry was called to examine the behavior of the police and their handling of the case. The police, in defense of themselves and in justification of "confessions" obtained, called a succession of male experts on the medical, social and moral roman catholic fiber of Joanne Hayes. Her married lover detailed the times, places and manner of her love making. Using the "twins" theory as a springboard, the question was posed and debated "Did she love this man or what was he and other men prepared to do with her?" After six months of daily discussion among the men, the judge declared "There were times when we all believed she had twins." The treatment of Joanne Hayes, who stood accused of no crime, was a model for Irish male attitudes to woman. She was caught up in a time of rapid social change between two Irelands, an earlier Ireland in which the Catholic Church had held a moral monopoly and a new liberal and secular Ireland.
214 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1985
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
January 20, 2018
A book that should be read by anyone with an interest in Modern Irish History. Although this case was only 34 years ago, it seems like yesterday. The Gardaí were determined to find Joanne Hayes guilty of murdering two babies, who they claimed were twins from two different fathers, hence different blood groups. The charges were dropped but a Tribunal was arranged to examine how Joanne and the Hayes Family were treated. It turned into a witch hunt, where Joanne was attacked by the all male panel who ripped her to shreds: her sexual life; her morality; her decision to sleep with a married man. They bullied her, sedated her and asked the most private (and irrelevant questions). An awful time in our islands History. This book demands to be read. It reveals the truth behind those media reports. Highly recommended.
September 2, 2014
Nell McCafferty is an accomplished journalist and a long established member of the feminist movement in Ireland. The story that unfolds in this book is at once sad, devastating and mind-boggling, or 'GUBU' (Grotesque, Unbelievable, Bizarre and Unprecedented). It reads like fiction bordering on urban fantasy with strong elements of horror - but it's not fiction. Only in Ireland could a young woman be treated so callously by so many men - policemen, lawyers, judges etc. Only in Ireland could they have made such a total haimes of the whole case. And only in Ireland could the Tribunal of Enquiry have disregarded its mandate to such an extent. The story speaks for itself and Ms McCafferty does a creditable job, but it reads like a series of newspaper articles suffused with Irish feminist outpourings.
March 28, 2013
An utterly depressing and shocking account of the Kerry babies trial in Ireland. Well written, but painful to read.
August 10, 2008
A Woman To Blame (The Kerry Babies Case) by Nell McCafferty
1985, Attic Press. ISBN 0-946211-22-1, ISBN 0-946211-21-3 pbk
A sketch you might be familiar with: Irish comedian Tommy Tiernan instances his sex education – at break-time in school a more knowledgeable peer announces “first your willy goes hard... then you put it inside her”. One perplexed schoolboy says “but I don't like cider!”
In Nell McCafferty's detailed description of the Tribunal of Inquiry into the Kerry Babies Case I have a picture of similar boys to those in Tiernan's class but now grown up: at the top of their game in the Gardaí Síochána or legal profession sitting on the Tribunal but still not much clearer on the mysteries of love/baby making – Judge Kevin Lynch (the Tribunal Judge) asking at one point if it was possible to give birth standing up. There really isn't anything funny about that.
A Woman To Blame does what it says on the tin: the undeniable tragedy in 1984 of a murdered newly born washed up on a beach in County Kerry and the search for a woman to blame, the woman was Joanne Hayes. But there is much more than that to this book.
Firstly, the events need to be put in context and the book can be viewed as a time capsule reminding (or informing) the reader of what Irish society was like in the 1980s : economic depression, the power of the Catholic Church, the place of women. Considering it was written straight after the sad events McCafferty must have known her book would be an historical text or perhaps she was writing it for a non-Irish audience.
Secondly, an overview of rural life is presented because this is where the events unfolded, the organisations that had influence (the Gaelic Athletic Association, Macra na Feirme, once again the Catholic Church was all pervasive); how people lived, worked, socialised; the respect accorded to the local policeman.
Thirdly, the actual court case and tribunal are presented for example the questioning of the Hayes family and suggestions of police brutality, and these contexts all weave together a desperately sad tale.
The Tribunal of Inquiry into the Kerry Babies Case takes up about half the book, it lasted from December 1984 to June 1985. The main aim of the Tribunal was to find out how police conducted themselves during the questioning of the Hayes family, then to address the allegations of the Hayes family against the police and finally any other relevant matters. As the Tribunal proceeded, it became more of an investigation into the personality and sexuality of Joanne Hayes. Against the background of holy catholic Ireland [where contraceptives were legally available to married couples only, where devout doctors or pharmacists could refuse to perscribe or accept a perscription of condoms, the pill or any other contraceptives if their beliefs prevented them] a young woman had an affair with a married man. She had a baby by him which he didn't acknowledge, still convinced he loved her the affair continued, one pregnancy ended in miscarriage, a third ended with Joanne giving birth in a field and the child dying within minutes of complications or exposure – it's not entirely clear. The body was placed in a plastic bag, in a pool of water near the river. And life continued as normal.
I can only imagine the desperation one could feel to go through with those actions.
Upon the discovery of “The Kerry Baby” (the child found washed up on a beach) Joanne was singled out as the possible mother. The Tribunal tried to prove that this was her child through an extremely rare occurrence of “superfecundation” where a woman can be pregnant with twins of 2 different fathers with different blood types.
Reading this book my main emotions were sadness, shock, anger, indignation.
However, there were uplifting moments in A Woman To Blame when I read that the people of Abbeydorney got “the pike out of the thatch” - spearheaded by men of standing in her home town who were sickened by seeing their neighbour interrogated (at one point under medication). The mostly farming community stood in solidarity outside the courthouse with streamers that said simply “Abbeydorney supports Joanne”.
She continuously got letters and mass cards (perhaps a curious phenonenon to a non-catholic, a greeting card which states that a mass is being said for you). The mass cards illustrate how out of touch the Catholic hierarchy (men of cloth and power) was/is with the typical catholic “on the street” who believed jesus preached love and forgiveness. Meanwhile the parish priests of Abbeydorney refused to say mass in the Hayes family home.
Of course the women's movement did not stand idly by and in addition to protesting outside (condemned by Judge Lynch and threatened with a jail sentence), feminists nationwide sent yellow flowers to Joanne. I think this was a beautiful idea – when the TV and press cameras snapped her leaving court every day her arms were full of yellow flowers. This symbol caught on and hundreds of flowers were sent daily, Nell admits it was unlikely that each flower represented an active Irish feminist. McCafferty offers a snap shot of the women's movement of that time. Two years prior to the tribunal many women's groups formed with the agenda of opposing the government's proposed amendment to Irish legislation in relation to abortion. But they were faced with the might of church and state and many buckled under this pressure. Now they had a chance to organise again and it is interesting to hear (for the first time in my case) of the people and the projects of the time e.g., the Women's Community Press and Irishwomen's Guidebook and Diary.
A Woman To Blame is an uncomfortable book to read, but I would recommend you try and get your hands on a copy.
1985, Attic Press. ISBN 0-946211-22-1, ISBN 0-946211-21-3 pbk
A sketch you might be familiar with: Irish comedian Tommy Tiernan instances his sex education – at break-time in school a more knowledgeable peer announces “first your willy goes hard... then you put it inside her”. One perplexed schoolboy says “but I don't like cider!”
In Nell McCafferty's detailed description of the Tribunal of Inquiry into the Kerry Babies Case I have a picture of similar boys to those in Tiernan's class but now grown up: at the top of their game in the Gardaí Síochána or legal profession sitting on the Tribunal but still not much clearer on the mysteries of love/baby making – Judge Kevin Lynch (the Tribunal Judge) asking at one point if it was possible to give birth standing up. There really isn't anything funny about that.
A Woman To Blame does what it says on the tin: the undeniable tragedy in 1984 of a murdered newly born washed up on a beach in County Kerry and the search for a woman to blame, the woman was Joanne Hayes. But there is much more than that to this book.
Firstly, the events need to be put in context and the book can be viewed as a time capsule reminding (or informing) the reader of what Irish society was like in the 1980s : economic depression, the power of the Catholic Church, the place of women. Considering it was written straight after the sad events McCafferty must have known her book would be an historical text or perhaps she was writing it for a non-Irish audience.
Secondly, an overview of rural life is presented because this is where the events unfolded, the organisations that had influence (the Gaelic Athletic Association, Macra na Feirme, once again the Catholic Church was all pervasive); how people lived, worked, socialised; the respect accorded to the local policeman.
Thirdly, the actual court case and tribunal are presented for example the questioning of the Hayes family and suggestions of police brutality, and these contexts all weave together a desperately sad tale.
The Tribunal of Inquiry into the Kerry Babies Case takes up about half the book, it lasted from December 1984 to June 1985. The main aim of the Tribunal was to find out how police conducted themselves during the questioning of the Hayes family, then to address the allegations of the Hayes family against the police and finally any other relevant matters. As the Tribunal proceeded, it became more of an investigation into the personality and sexuality of Joanne Hayes. Against the background of holy catholic Ireland [where contraceptives were legally available to married couples only, where devout doctors or pharmacists could refuse to perscribe or accept a perscription of condoms, the pill or any other contraceptives if their beliefs prevented them] a young woman had an affair with a married man. She had a baby by him which he didn't acknowledge, still convinced he loved her the affair continued, one pregnancy ended in miscarriage, a third ended with Joanne giving birth in a field and the child dying within minutes of complications or exposure – it's not entirely clear. The body was placed in a plastic bag, in a pool of water near the river. And life continued as normal.
I can only imagine the desperation one could feel to go through with those actions.
Upon the discovery of “The Kerry Baby” (the child found washed up on a beach) Joanne was singled out as the possible mother. The Tribunal tried to prove that this was her child through an extremely rare occurrence of “superfecundation” where a woman can be pregnant with twins of 2 different fathers with different blood types.
Reading this book my main emotions were sadness, shock, anger, indignation.
However, there were uplifting moments in A Woman To Blame when I read that the people of Abbeydorney got “the pike out of the thatch” - spearheaded by men of standing in her home town who were sickened by seeing their neighbour interrogated (at one point under medication). The mostly farming community stood in solidarity outside the courthouse with streamers that said simply “Abbeydorney supports Joanne”.
She continuously got letters and mass cards (perhaps a curious phenonenon to a non-catholic, a greeting card which states that a mass is being said for you). The mass cards illustrate how out of touch the Catholic hierarchy (men of cloth and power) was/is with the typical catholic “on the street” who believed jesus preached love and forgiveness. Meanwhile the parish priests of Abbeydorney refused to say mass in the Hayes family home.
Of course the women's movement did not stand idly by and in addition to protesting outside (condemned by Judge Lynch and threatened with a jail sentence), feminists nationwide sent yellow flowers to Joanne. I think this was a beautiful idea – when the TV and press cameras snapped her leaving court every day her arms were full of yellow flowers. This symbol caught on and hundreds of flowers were sent daily, Nell admits it was unlikely that each flower represented an active Irish feminist. McCafferty offers a snap shot of the women's movement of that time. Two years prior to the tribunal many women's groups formed with the agenda of opposing the government's proposed amendment to Irish legislation in relation to abortion. But they were faced with the might of church and state and many buckled under this pressure. Now they had a chance to organise again and it is interesting to hear (for the first time in my case) of the people and the projects of the time e.g., the Women's Community Press and Irishwomen's Guidebook and Diary.
A Woman To Blame is an uncomfortable book to read, but I would recommend you try and get your hands on a copy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 14, 2023
This book was a well presented account of the trial of the Kerry babies murder and of the Irish attitude to women in the 1980s.
There is a birth-decreed double standard across the island that leaves women to foot the bill of blame and mean exactly what they say lest their words or actions be twirled to fit the mould of the hour. Irish men are not bound to their words or actions. They are free to make their mistakes and move on.
These attitudes still affect irish society today in a more insidious nature (or at times blatantly).
This book has inspired me to look further into Irish women’s activism and have pride in how far we have come in the fight for equality.
I read this book while contemplating career changes and considering what really is important to my life.
There is a birth-decreed double standard across the island that leaves women to foot the bill of blame and mean exactly what they say lest their words or actions be twirled to fit the mould of the hour. Irish men are not bound to their words or actions. They are free to make their mistakes and move on.
These attitudes still affect irish society today in a more insidious nature (or at times blatantly).
This book has inspired me to look further into Irish women’s activism and have pride in how far we have come in the fight for equality.
I read this book while contemplating career changes and considering what really is important to my life.
September 29, 2014
Hard to believe this ever happened, let alone in the 80s. This book is harsh and difficult to read at times due to the tragic circumstances surrounding the Kerry Babies case, but evokes a now unimaginable part of Irish history. I was shocked and saddened by this story but McCafferty recounts these events skilfully.
December 15, 2014
This is tough reading and a shocking reminder of the lengths the Gardai will go to fabricate evidence. Thank dog for the yellow roses.
My heart goes out to the Hayes family.
My heart goes out to the Hayes family.
September 15, 2022
The book begins with a well deserved tirade against the Catholic clergy of Ireland. A well known pro life and family bishop was a baby daddy and so was a priest friend of his. They accompanied Pope John Paul II during his trip to the country with a message against contraception and divorce which were illegal there until 1996.
Joanne Hayes is the center of this bizarre case. Miss Hayes had an ongoing affair with a married man and seemed to be quite fertile. Jeremiah Locke impregnated both Joanne and his wife within the same time period. This is an Irish soap opera.
A dead baby was discovered with stab wounds and the police charged Joanne with the crime. They obtained a false confession by threatening all kinds of retribution.
Eventually, a blood test on the baby proved that she was not the mother. A tribunal was held concerning police misconduct but, of course, the old boy's club did nothing. Instead, they focused on Joanne's sex life with Jeremiah in graphic detail.
The inquest was a kangaroo court with a judge spending an inordinate amount of time on the length of umbilical cords and the manner of their cutting.
Next was the theory that Joanne may have had sex with two different men within 48 hours, resulting in twins, one of which was the victim of a stabbing death.
In the end, we are left with an unsolved mystery.
Joanne Hayes is the center of this bizarre case. Miss Hayes had an ongoing affair with a married man and seemed to be quite fertile. Jeremiah Locke impregnated both Joanne and his wife within the same time period. This is an Irish soap opera.
A dead baby was discovered with stab wounds and the police charged Joanne with the crime. They obtained a false confession by threatening all kinds of retribution.
Eventually, a blood test on the baby proved that she was not the mother. A tribunal was held concerning police misconduct but, of course, the old boy's club did nothing. Instead, they focused on Joanne's sex life with Jeremiah in graphic detail.
The inquest was a kangaroo court with a judge spending an inordinate amount of time on the length of umbilical cords and the manner of their cutting.
Next was the theory that Joanne may have had sex with two different men within 48 hours, resulting in twins, one of which was the victim of a stabbing death.
In the end, we are left with an unsolved mystery.
November 9, 2024
Absolutely essential reading for anyone interested in what Ireland was like for women in the 1980's. I was born in 1980 so I only have a vague memory of the Kerry Baby scandal being mentioned after the fact (mixed in with the moving statues, for some reason), so this was fascinating.
Nell McCafferty has so much empathy for Joanne Hayes, you can really feel her anger and heartbreak.
Nell McCafferty has so much empathy for Joanne Hayes, you can really feel her anger and heartbreak.
September 21, 2021
Excellent read
This book shows an unreal bias toward women by a member of the judiciary who should have been reprimanded and disbarred
This book shows an unreal bias toward women by a member of the judiciary who should have been reprimanded and disbarred
April 13, 2023
Not for me. There’s no doubt that Joanne and her family should never have been subjected to what they were but this book just isn’t for me.
January 5, 2025
Such a horrible time in Irish history. Shame on all the people who wronged the family.
I felt the book itself was not well written and hard to follow along
I felt the book itself was not well written and hard to follow along
April 20, 2025
Excellent read - I knew of the Kerry babies case in broad terms but wasn't familiar with the tribunal covered here. It's an eye opening account of how women were treated in Ireland in the 1980s.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews