Christine Buckley
Irish Volunteer of the Year 2009
Aislinn Education and Support Centre for Survivors of Institutional Abuse, Dublin
Christine runs the Aislinn Centre for Survivors of Institutional Abuse. She deals with survivors on a one-to-one basis and is actively involved in referring them for further support services. She works round the clock and is always available to lend a listening ear to fellow survivors. Christine has campaigned tirelessly on behalf of victims of institutional abuse for more than 25 years. She spoke privately about her own experiences in 1984 and went public in 1992. Christine then held a series of meetings with Bertie Ahern and other government officials, culminating in An Taoiseach’s apology on behalf of the State to all victims of institutional abuse on 11th May 1999. It was followed by the establishment of a nationwide counselling service, a Commission of Inquiry into Institutional Abuse and the establishment of the Redress Board. Christine later outlined the difficulties that survivors were encountering in trying to access records to help them find their parents, siblings and extended families. Consequently in 2001, Barnardos set up the tracing service Origins. Christine has played a significant role in Irish society and has devoted an enormous amount of time and effort to this cause. Even through her own battle with cancer, she continued to be actively involved in the centre, often attached to her drip! Her courage has enabled thousands of people to feel free from the scarring of the emotional, physical and sexual abuse they were subjected to. Her work continues to change lives every day.
“I wish to thank my fellow director, Carmel McDonnell Byrne, for all the work that she has done as an unsung volunteer over the years for our fellow survivors. Special thanks to the HSE, the VEC and the Government for taking our proposal on board and providing the valuable resources which has enabled our volunteering to achieve such fruitful benefits for survivors and their families. Finally, I would like to thank Donal and my three darlings, Cliona, Darragh and Conor for their love and patience over the last 25 years.” -Christine
Heartiest Congrats
I would love to know where I could get the DVD or Video of Dear Daughter and States of Fear for a relative in U S who also had some very very bad experences and would love a copy
I have tried several outlets but no joy
Thank you so much for all your marvellous work and God Bless you
Congratulations on your Volunteer of Ireland award, a much deserved honour for your dedicated work on behalf of victims of institutional abuse. I wish you health and strength to continue your good work.
Soinbhe
Delighted to hear about your award. Well deserved. All the hard work and commitment has paid off. Well done.
Wishing you the best of luck Christine! Congratulations on the well-deserved nomination!
- Blánaid from M Quigley Solicitors
Absolute thrilled to hear about the Award, Christine! Congratulations to you and all who have worked so hard to bring the survivors into their rightful place in our society. Your courage and the courage of those around you have turned their struggle with the past into a beacon of hope in all mankind!
Congratulations Christine! It was a pleasure to meet you on Thursday. Everyone was so passionate about their organisations but you really were a very deserving winner. Best of luck on December 5th
Congratulations and best wishes Christine for a long over due award. You are fantastic the work you have done behind the scenes is phenomenal. You have campaigned tirelessly on behalf of victims of institutional abuse for more than 25 years and you are truly a remarkable selfless woman. Christine you spoke privately about these atrocities in 1984, and then went public in 1992. Dear Daughter (Louis Lentin) was televised on 22nd February 1996 and it is thanks to this documentary our paths crossed.
We know only too well the scale and extent of institutional abuse in Ireland has not been properly addressed, it has scarred almost an entire generation and must be acknowledged. There isn’t enough money in the world to retrieve our stolen childhoods! We were robbed and deprived of our childhoods, so many of us were told every day that we were worthless and unwanted, beaten, sexually abused and tossed out on the streets when we turned 16. There is a huge sense of freedom from the scarring of the emotional – the physical and sexual abuse, the awful shame so many feel is slowly shifting. Thanks to you Christine you have made it possible for all survivors to have a voice and to rid ourselves of the awful shame & stigma which has ruled our lives for so long!
Christine it is time now to acknowledge the changes which you have a huge part in which changed the course of Irish History. Hopefully you will now take time to write a book documenting this historical change over the past twenty five years.What an achievement from such a selfless woman! You are the bravest person I know!
Best of luck in Strasbourg! You are our champion and winner no matter what the outcome!
best wishes as always Carmel
I can not think of a more deserving person to receive this award. Christine has dedicated her entire life to the survivors of institutional abuse and making sure they are never forgotten.It has never been about her but always about the survivors. The Aislinnn centre is a fantastic resource for any survivor and without Cristine and Carmel, this would never have happend. It is truly inspiring to see what Cristine has achieved and i sincerly hope she goes on to win in Strasbourg. Best of luck Cristine.
Congratulations for your award and good luck for Strasbourg. I can only admire you for giving 25 years of your life to others. You are inspiring !!!
Congratulations for respect and acknowledgement of your work. Christine Buckley is an inspiring woman, passionate and dedicated, fighting for justice – and slowly, but finally and hopefully getting it. All the best – and my deepest admiration for your life and work.
A pure warrior. Christine, you are everything that is good in humanity.
As an earlier poster said “there is not a more deserving person”.
Massive congratulations to you Christine a very well deserved award!!!!all my love Siobhán and Thomas xxxxxxxx
Congratulations to Christine on her award, what an acheivement. There couldn’t possibly be a more deserving winner. I am astonished at her bravery and humility. Whenever I go back to Irelaqnd I love to visit Aislinn. I just sit have a cup of tea , chat and watch everyone go about their asctivities. Just like any happy home up and down the country. No one would believe the pain and deprivation these busy people have endured in their formative years. I don’t know how Christine, Carmel and their fellow volinteers have achieved this. That’s truely remarkable. If only there was such a sanctuary when, at the age of 16 we were kicked out to fend for ourselves with little education and a feeling of self loathing, but perhaps there was no one like Christine in our time. I suppose how Christine differs from most is that she had the strength and courrage to turn the pain of her young years into such tangable change in Ireland. Christine, you have revealed modern Irelands true colours.Good luck in Strasbourg. You deserve the highest honour.
Thank you so much for all your work on behalf of survivors. Because of that work I have unbgone counselling, and attend many classes in The Aislinn Centre. My favourite classes are homecrafts and cookery. For the first time ever I was able to go a cruise holiday ith fellow survivors from the same hell-hole were our childhoods were lost. This illustrates the work you have done and our compensation from the State allows our dream of cruise to become a reality. Every good wish in Strasbourg. You get my number 1 vote.
Congratulations Christine you deserve it and I am delighted for you.
Dave Leahy
Congratulations on being nominated for the award we really feel you deserve it. Good Luck and it is well overdue.
regards Deirdre & Victor
Vote Christine Buckley for European Volunteer of the Year before 30.11.2009/ Free to vote and it takes 2 sec on web link: http://www.benevolat.eu/en/vote.php.
please post all your comments directly on YouTube video to try to maximise the number of votes i.e. 15,000 votes means at least 75 people have to vote approx.200 times on their individual personal computers (as per each I.P.address)
If you wish to view 4 additional videos of Mum on YouTube or post positive comments on http://www.youtube.com/user/ClionaEliza as soon as possible
Congratulations Christine on your award and the very best of luck in Strasbourg
Marie
What an I say Christine. Right from the earliest days you displayed all the courage, right and might in getting for survivors of institutional abuse, what they deserved. The Best. Carmel, yourself and myself in those earliest days went thrugh some very difficut obstacles. But for the help and listening ear and genuine willingingness to help of Michael Martin and Bertie Ahern, God knows what would have happened. Thankfully, it did happen… The Happy Day back in 1996, in the RDS, the great support of the publicc, the media, and the few people who woud listen and believe. Then the apology, the Aislinn Centre, the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, The National Counselling Service, the Education Finance Board etc etc. Fair dues to you, you stuck with it through thick and thin. You were brilliant. Well done for getting the People of the Year Award, the Volunteer of the Year Award and all the personal accolades too. Hpe you win the European Person of the Year Award too.
Christine’s courage and committment is impressive. Her personal and powerful story has changed the face of child care systems in Ireland. and made an impact on the attitutes of professionals work in the area. She is very impressive to meet as one would heve considered such difficulties in early childhood had the potential to dehumanise people.Christine has developed as a fully functioning giving loving person who has the ability to transform others.
Best of luck on this.
It should be remembered that Christine spoke up when it wasn’t ’sexy’ to do so – when the media and society, it must be said were, were mainly uninterested. When people talked about showing due deference to the church (and religious orders/rogue employers) it was usually obsequious people including politicians, media reporters, judges etc., who owed their exalted position to that organisation which damaged so many people in Ireland and around the world. Sometimes it seems to me that the only people resisting this abusive organisation where those of us in the Industrial Schools !
Resistance is NOT futile!
Congratulations Christine, on winning The Irish Volunteeer of the Year Award – most justly deserved. It could not have gone to a more fitting recipient.
Now, Europe has its chance to “DO THE DECENT”. For a truly unique humanitarian contribution to both Irish and European standards of civilised behaviour – particularly to children – but to adults also, there can hardly be a more outstanding exemplar. Through suffering, pain, contempt, viciousness and vilification, you have remained steadfast and enduring in your committment to justice for the most down-trodden and helpless. Your efforts are now overdue their just and proper accolade :- “European Volunteer of The Year”. Knock their socks off, Christine! Let them know how the “Mother Theresa of Jervis Street” does things! Regards and Good Luck. Dessie Murray.
I wish all the best to Christine on Nov 5t. love Mary
Every good wish to my school friend ! Love Sheila
Christine I would like to say a very big thank you from the bottom of my heart for setting me free from my horrendous past. I will never forget your kindness on my first day in the Aislinn Centre in 2003. You gave me so much of your time. You listened attentively as I broke down and I told you my horror story. You were aghast at the awful things I endured and advised me to go to counselling. I was very frightened at first as I trusted nobody but you and Carmel re-assured me you had been to years of counselling and it would be so helpful. It has been one of the best things I have done for myself and after years of counselling and extra support from Aislinn I am reaching my potential. I am very happy to say I have a number of FETAC Awards for educational courses I have attended. Christine I want to wish you the very best in Strasbourg. This is your time and you are a winner no matter what. Three Cheers for Christine from Joan & Family. We will be thinking of you Saturday.
Wishing Christine all the best. Theres no one more deserving than Christine. She brought the instances of Child Abuse out in the open. Only for her, it would probably still be going on!! I really hope she receives this award. Donal and their children must be very proud of her. Truly a genuine nice lady! So many of us could take a leaf out of her book. Well done Christine x
best of luck christine. you do good work and deserve recognition.
well and truely deserved
It couldn’t go to a nicer person
wising you all the luck in the world H & D
Good luck from M.B. Hove Brighton
Thanks for all you did for our unc.
G,Day from Aus wishing u all de best on ur big nite J.T. Best of luck deserved
We havent met u but have read lots, wishing u all that Irish luck Raymond, Pam, Roker & family
Wishing you all the luck Christine! You truly deserve this award…xx
Thank heavens for people like you. I am Irish from Dublin and living in the USA. I heard your interview on Dublin’s 98fm and so sorry for all you endured but know a little about abuse. I admire your strength and willingness to come forward and lead a nation of battered and bruised to a brighter day. You are an angel and will be well received in heaven, something ironic when you think it was so called holy people who inflicted such pain and terror. I hurt for what you and the thousands of others went through but admire you and respect you for everything you are and despite their degradation you shone through!!
You can walk tall and we are forever thankful for all you did and do. May God bless you.
I sincerely hope you receive this award not only as she deserves it but finally for the world to see just what oppression the church swept under the mat.
Best of luck Christine!! Go N’eirigh an bothar leat!!
Just heard Christine on 98fm while on the bus home – I’m blown away by her story and wish her all the best in the future!
Best of luck!
I think Christine is a very brrave inspiring woman who is doing such wonderful work. I am a social worker in child protection and feel very strongly about what has gone on in this country, i feel outraged about what happened to the innocent children in this country and believe Christine is makng a real impact on the changes that have taken place since she so bravely spoke out about her experience. Children dont have a voice and they need adults to protect them. Keep up the great work Christine and you deserve the recognition of this award
Good Luck , Ciara
all the best christine, you are a brave and couragous person. you so deserve this award because you opened the gates for all the victims of industrial abuse. for years my mother spoke about the abuse at the industrial school she at and no one listned and thanks to you her voice was heard at last. well done again christine you have such a big and beautiful voice from such a little lady
all the best
siobhan
From the debths of dispair I found the Aislinn Centre and a lady called Christine Buckley,
My life has turned around beyond my wildest dreams,
I wish you very best of luck Pat
To Christine,
What a courageous woman you are. To have stood up and been counted in
the country I grew up in, shows that, for one thing, you have nerves of steel.
I don’t know how you were’nt tarred and feather and flung out of the country!
Three cheers for you! I don’t know when the Strasbourg event takes place (or
has taken place) but you deserve a Great Big Medal there.
Wishing you only the best of luck in relation to your illness.
hoping its not too late to congratulate you christine buckley.Well done and a brillent job you have done for each of us. I remember at your centre and i hope all your well wishing dreams for yourself too are coming true.your are a special friend to have and all those admirers,you ve helped people see the truth for themselves, carmel julian,all those who helped and encouraged us.everyone had christine on the tip of the thongue, wow well done yeeha for christine.