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A 60-YEAR-OLD Irish woman who was born in a mother-and-baby home and was subsequently sent to three different Magdalene Laundries has taken a case to the UN’s Committee Against Torture arguing that the Irish state was “complicit in her arbitrary detention and mistreatment”.
Elizabeth Coppin’s complaint is to be heard by the committee which has given the Irish State four months to respond to further submissions on her case.
Coppin was detained by court order in an industrial school at the age of two. When she reached 14, the nuns in charge of the industrial school transferred her to St Vincent’s Magdalene Laundry in Peacock Lane, Cork.
In her submission to the UN, Coppin “alleges that she was subjected to arbitrary detention, servitude and forced labour without pay for six days a week in all three of the Magdalene laundries and that the State party was complicit in her arbitrary detention and mistreatment”.
The submission adds:
She was placed in a cell of approximately 6 square metres, which contained a small bed with one blanket, and a shelf with a jug and a basin for sanitation. The door to her cell was bolted, there were bars on the window and her lights were switched off every night at 9 pm.
“At Saint Vincent’s, she was forbidden to speak and was generally deprived of human warmth and kindness. She lived in conditions of deliberate deprivation, with inadequate food and heating.”
Coppin alleges that Ireland has broken its obligations under the Convention against Torture by not investigating complaints into her treatment.
In a published decision of the UN committee, Coppin says that gardaí “declined to act on the complaints she filed with them” and that,
State party’s authorities did not open a criminal investigation into allegations of torture and ill-treatment at the Magdalen laundries ‘after the complainant filed a civil claim in the courts.
The State’s response to the complaint argued that the complaints raises issues relating to a period before Ireland adopted the Convention against Torture. It also argued that:
The laundries were not operated or owned by or on behalf of the State, and there was no statutory basis for either admitting or confining a person to a Magdalene laundry.
The Committee has not made a decision on the wider case but has said that Ireland must answer the allegations raised by Coppin and respond within four months.
Flower of Scotland should be way up that list. It’s a belter
@James Beattie: Agreed. It’d be my number 1, followed by La Marseillaise.
Ireland’s Call ? pure undiluted Muck .
Ireland’s Call is an embarrassment. Shockingly bad songwriting from the normally great Mr Coulter.
@JusticeForJoe: agreed.. technically not a national anthem either
@Fi Harte: not even technically
@JusticeForJoe: Fully agree with you.
Flower of Scotland all day long for me.
Ireland’s Call is not our, or any nation’s, national anthem. If our national team is playing they should play their own national anthem.
@Boyne Sharky: because its.not just our (Republic) national team, its a team representing the whole island.
@Barry Sorensen: We have our 32 counties represent Ireland in other sports and they use our national anthem and national flag of Ireland.
@Daniel Roche: which sports?
@OnlyHereForTheComments: Shinty-Hurling International Series, international football series.
Ireland’s Call is the worst thing to happen to the country since the Black and Tans
Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau is class.
The irish one is awful.. It More like a hoot for school boys.
The Italian one is like from a great opera. Except that it needs trained classical voices to sing and not the fans dog howling..
The Welsh one is beautiful and a billion times better then the dreadful tone deaf irish one.
Flower of Scotland should be number 2.
Ireland s call is the best we got.better than Danny boy which would put the players to sleep or 4 green fields and certainly better than the rose of Tralee. Why not the old reliable fields of athenry. We all love that one
@Michael Murray: Nothing wrong with our national anthem.
Ireland’s call is a bit cringey why not Danny boy instead
@John Byrne: Maybe cause it was written by a English man that never set foot in Ireland or maybe it’s a crap song and our national anthem is way better and should only be use for Ireland games.
@Daniel Roche: Amhrán na bhFiann is a shocking song
@John Byrne: if you think Danny boy is a great song,I’m more than happy with our national anthem.
@John Byrne: but still our National Anthem. Point missed.
@Daniel Roche: was the man not from derry who wrote this song ?
@Lee Ridley: no.
@Lee Ridley: Nope. The guy who wrote Ireland’s call, Phil Coulter, is from Derry. Danny Boy’s original title was the Londonderry Air.
I’d have both Irish anthems in 5th & 6th
Sorry, while Flower of Scotland is a good rousing anthem, the fact that it says of the English “proud Edward’s army sent them homewards to think again”.
We’ll, a few years ago, they had a chance to send them homewards without having to left a finger in the independence referendum but chose not to. So the sentiments in “Flower of Scotland ” have rung somewhat hollow ever since!
I wonder if Cork had got a mention in Irelands Call would it be a more likeable in general.
I love it.
@Brian Farrell: No,I’m fairly sure they just don’t like it like the majority of this country.
Flower of Scotland is even worse than Ireland’s call. I’d rate the Welsh anthem after the French and Italian, and above the other three
When Flower of Scotland is played in Murrayfield against England, you would almost feel like jumping on the next plane and invading England yourself! Ireland’s call was made to win awards – not to be sung by burly Irish rugby players! They had a great chance to have a rousing going into battle anthem and instead it’s more like a lament!
What drugs are ye on and can I have some??
ireland’s call is an unremarkable turd, god save the queen an honourable second to the marseillaise
Eimear Considine’s point about the key change in Ireland’s call is valid. When you are not musically trained it can lead to horrendous results. La Marseillaise which has 2 key changes is regularly destroyed by well-meaning French supporters and athletes.
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