‘Groundbreaking’ Irish Journalist Mary Raftery Dies
The Irish broadcaster and journalist Mary Raftery died this morning.
In the early hours of this morning she passed away at St. Vincents Hospital in Dublin following an illness. She was 54 years old.
Fianna Fail Leader Micheál Martin expressed his sympathy saying: “Mary was a groundbreaking, inspirational journalist who made a major contribution to Irish public life. Through her work Mary raised the level of public debate in this country and touched many lives”.
Unanimously held in high esteem, Irish Secretary Seamus Dooley referred to her as “a fearless journalist who was always willing to ask awkward questions, to seek out uncomfortable facts and to shine a light in the darkest corners of Irish society”.
Well renowned for her 1999 ‘States of Fear’ documentary, Raftery explored the issue of clerical abuse in schools in Ireland, prompting then Taoiseach Bertie Ahern to apologise to the victims of abuse on behalf of the state.
As a direct result of Raftery’s work, the Residential Institutional Redress Board was established, which has compensated 14,000 individuals so far.
Following the ‘States of Fear’ documentary, Raftery collaborated with Eoin O’Sullivan from Trinity Collage Dublin to pen ‘Suffer the Little Children – The Inside Story of Ireland’s Industrial Schools’.
Her 2002 documentary ‘Cardinal Secrets’ with Mark Peelo, which investigated child clerical sex abuse allegations in the Archdiocese of Dublin, set in motion Dail Eireann passing the 2004 Commission of Investigation Act, followed by the establishment of the Murphy Commission in November 2009.
Raftery joined RTE in 1984 and was involved in programmes such as Today Tonight and Evening Extra.
In 2002, she began writing for The Irish Times and teaching at NUI Maynooth.
‘Behind the Walls’, her final documentary was broadcast in September last year and examined Irish psychiatric hospitals.
She is survived by her husband David Waddell and their son Ben.
Read the story here: http://insideireland.ie/2012/01/10/groundbreaking-irish-journalist-mary-rafferty-dies-48919/
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director