Agenda item

That this Area Committee discusses Cllr Mannix Flynn’s motion regarding the Artane Band which is expected to be voted on at the October City Council meeting (please see Cllr Flynn’s full motion and his reasons for the motion below).  

 

The Artane Band / Artane School of Music is located in our North Central Area and this discussion  will allow members to share their own viewpoint and listen to the views of other members.  It is obvious from reading Cllr Flynn’s ‘reasons for motion’ below that this matter causes great hurt / trauma for him and many others and I believe the issue warrants our serious consideration.  

 

 

For note 

MOTION ( Cllr Mannix Flynn) 

 

That this meeting of DCC calls on the Lord Mayor of Dublin to withdraw and desist from being  patron of the Artane School of Music/Artane Band. 

 

Reasons: 

The Patron of the Artane School of Music is Patron of the Artane Band.  It is widely documented in State inquiries the level of institutional abuse, child rape and torture that took place in Artane Industrial School itself and in particular within the Artane Boys Band. Indeed, it was in the former band room, within the institutions that many suffered their trauma. There is no disconnect between the Artane Band, the Artane School of Music and the former residential institution that was run by the Christian Brothers, the Artane Industrial School. 

It is not appropriate that the office of the Lord Mayor would be associated with such a legacy with such a history and indeed, this will bring Dublin City Council and the office of Lord Mayor into disrepute.  For many who are still alive and their families, the Artane Band in all its manifestations including the Artane School of Music, its symbols and uniform are symbols of terror and trigger deep trauma to this very day. 

 

With such campaigns that are now in existence like #metoo with such advances in the awareness of child abuse and child protection and the treatment of traumatic memory there is no reason why Dublin City Council or the office of the Lord Mayor should give official sanction to what is still deeply hurtful and painful for the many of us who suffered child sexual abuse at the hands of the Christian Brothers and others in the residential institutions that they managed. 

We who went through this, have to deal with it on a daily basis.  It is deeply hurtful for us to see the Artane uniform, the Artane symbols, the Artane Band which are still under the control of the Christian brothers, rolled out on National Media without any regard for those of us who are alive and our feelings. 

This is wrong and needs to stop. 

  

Dublin city council itself under its former title of Dublin Corporation was complicit and involved in the incarceration of thousands of children in residential institutions such as Artane, Letterfrack, Daingean under the guise of the non attendance of school act.  In recent times the Council publicly apologised that in itself was a great step in the process of healing. 

To stand down the patronage of the Artane School of Music, Artane Band is the only option for Dublin City Council otherwise their apology is simply hollow words. 

  

It is time for disassociation with all symbols and manifestations of terror and abuse. 

 

Minutes:

That this Area Committee discusses Cllr Mannix Flynn’s motion regarding the Artane Band which is expected to be voted on at the October City Council meeting (please see Cllr Flynn’s full motion and his reasons for the motion below).  

 

The Artane Band / Artane School of Music is located in our North Central Area and this discussion will allow members to share their own viewpoint and listen to the views of other members.  It is obvious from reading Cllr Flynn’s ‘reasons for motion’ below that this matter causes great hurt / trauma for him and many others and I believe the issue warrants our serious consideration.  

 

For note 

MOTION ( Cllr Mannix Flynn) 

 

That this meeting of DCC calls on the Lord Mayor of Dublin to withdraw and desist from being  patron of the Artane School of Music/Artane Band. 

 

Reasons: 

The Patron of the Artane School of Music is Patron of the Artane Band.  It is widely documented in State inquiries the level of institutional abuse, child rape and torture that took place in Artane Industrial School itself and in particular within the Artane Boys Band. Indeed, it was in the former band room, within the institutions that many suffered their trauma. There is no disconnect between the Artane Band, the Artane School of Music and the former residential institution that was run by the Christian Brothers, the Artane Industrial School. 

It is not appropriate that the office of the Lord Mayor would be associated with such a legacy with such a history and indeed, this will bring Dublin City Council and the office of Lord Mayor into disrepute.  For many who are still alive and their families, the Artane Band in all its manifestations including the Artane School of Music, its symbols and uniform are symbols of terror and trigger deep trauma to this very day. 

 

With such campaigns that are now in existence like #metoo with such advances in the awareness of child abuse and child protection and the treatment of traumatic memory there is no reason why Dublin City Council or the office of the Lord Mayor should give official sanction to what is still deeply hurtful and painful for the many of us who suffered child sexual abuse at the hands of the Christian Brothers and others in the residential institutions that they managed.  We who went through this, have to deal with it on a daily basis.  It is deeply hurtful for us to see the Artane uniform, the Artane symbols, the Artane Band which are still under the control of the Christian brothers, rolled out on National Media without any regard for those of us who are alive and our feelings. This is wrong and needs to stop. 

  

Dublin City Council itself under its former title of Dublin Corporation was complicit and involved in the incarceration of thousands of children in residential institutions such as Artane, Letterfrack, Daingean under the guise of the non-attendance of school act.  In recent times the Council publicly apologised that in itself was a great step in the process of healing.   To stand down the patronage of the Artane School of Music, Artane Band is the only option for Dublin City Council otherwise their apology is simply hollow words.  It is time for disassociation with all symbols and manifestations of terror and abuse. 

 

Reply

 

For discussion at the meeting.

 

Order:  There were contributions from several members of the area committee.  The Lord Mayor noted that this matter is due to be dealt with at the October City Council meeting.