TheStoryOfStMichaelsHouse_Compressed

Eighty-one children were enrolled at Ballymun School that term and fifty-four children were attending Grosvenor School on the Southside. Their educational programme included the development of sensory, social, and physical skills, with particular emphasis on speech and language. They were also enjoying new courses in cookery and gardening as well as hockey and football. The afternoon club at Grosvenor continued to provide for the over-sixteens on Wednesdays and Saturdays. In January 1967, the Training Workshop at Jamestown was opened with two-dozen trainees, some of whom came from the chalet in Grosvenor Road. In less than a year that number of trainees would double. The annual report read: ‘During the first year the activities of the centre have grown rapidly. The trainees go through an intensive eighteen-month course in perceptual training, social behaviour, manipulative skills and literacy, after which it is hoped to place as many as possible in open employment and the balance in a long-term training centre.’ Celia Gore Grimes became Principal of the Training Workshop, and Noeleen Meehan, Below the Occupational Therapist. They emphasised the social aspects of the programme. ‘We Students of the Training were teaching these young adults to be independent,’ Celia explains, ‘getting them to Workshop Jamestown House travel on buses, and bringing them out to tea in restaurants so they would know how to opened January 1967. do it in future, and how to behave.’ The atmosphere in the Training centre was “always relaxed, and the Trainees were encouraged to work with the staff in the running of the house. This gave them a sense of responsibility and a feeling of belonging which was so 41

important for them to develop and think for themselves”. Celia remembers the visits from the Medical Director who ‘regularly dropped by to monitor our progress – and she would be like a battleship on full steam, so we would all be hoping we were getting things right!’ Barbara’s unflinching demand for excellence from her staff and only the best for the children extended to both decision makers and frontline personnel. This earned her a reputation for sometimes being a little too forthright with those who failed to live up to her expectations. Like Patsy Farrell, Barbara’s maxim was ‘either get the job done right or get another job’. Right The Afternoon Club run by Lillian Robertson and her team in Grosvenor Road for over sixteens where they learnt arts and crafts The pace within the Association was beginning to quicken with all this expectancy and planning. The recent Management Consultants review was direct: get a boss and become a Limited Company. This report helped to re-focus them. These developments would necessitate changes to their Constitution and would take Christo Gore Grimes at least a year to prepare. The ad to find a managing director was placed in the Irish Times in January 1967, and Des Hand was appointed by April. Desmond Hand was the former Secretary of the (National) Irish Film Institute, and he made a lasting impression on Barbara: Right I thought well of him. He was pleasant and good natured but firm. We worked very easily as a Desmond Hand, Managing team, and he was not afraid to say no to me, which Director of St. Michael’s House was fine. I would stand my ground if I thought it appointed in April 1967. was the sensible thing to do, but I realised that there were times when I had to relax a little! Barbara began hiring staff for the Special Care Unit in Ballymun: a nursery schoolteacher, a part- time physiotherapist, a speech therapist, along with a cleaner and cook. The unit’s first House Parent, Emily Oldham was described as a ‘Pioneer... and before her time’ at the Association’s twenty-fifth anniversary. ‘She was very conscious of the need for crisis accommodation and dreamed of someday building a bungalow near the unit where overnight accommodation would be available in a family emergency.’ The unit was officially opened on 27 September 1967 by the Minister for Health Sean Flanagan. Right from the beginning there were clear signs that the new service 42

was having a positive effect on the seventy children who Above attended, some of whom had started to learn how to feed themselves. The annual report noted: ‘that this unit is Newspaper article on the doing quite a job of not only making the child happy while opening of the Special there, but also helping the child to join in group activities Care Unit Ballymun, and venture into attempting and acquiring new skills.’ September 1967. James and Bernie Perry’s son Mark received a place the following year after the Special Care unit opened. Bernie who years later became a member of the Board of St. Michael’s House recalls: “Mark was born in 1965, I was just 18, he was awfully ill, but he was a fighter and still is. They never gave me a diagnosis; spastic was what they said, and he had epilepsy. Nobody told you anything, there was nothing out there. He never really walked I had to carry him everywhere. I heard about St. Michael’s House and I went to see Dr. Barbara Stokes and Dr. Maureen Walsh. They were very nice and they did an assessment on Mark. They told me of a meeting that was taking place that evening in Goatstown and advised me to go there and to take whatever they offered me for Mark. I had to get on a bus to drop Mark home and turn around and get two buses to the Southside to Goatstown, no cars in those days just public transport. I had never been across O’Connell Bridge in those days, the furthest we ever went was to Clerys! At that time, you are talking about 1968 – if you had a child like Mark, really you hid him. That’s what most people did. But I didn’t. I took Mark everywhere. Everybody in Swords knew Mark, every bus conductor and I have to tell you they were brilliant. That night I was offered a place for him in Ballymun Special Care Unit, Mrs. Oldham was in charge. A child got sick, so he got his place and when the child recovered, I refused to give up the place, so they made room for both. Barbara Stokes once said, “the mother 43

Below knew best” and at this stage I had learned I had to fight for Mark, so he started with one James and Bernie Perry full day on Wednesday, and an hour physiotherapy on Tuesday and Thursday. And that holding baby Mark, 1965. was the start of our life with St. Michael’s House.” Above Mark Perry with his Not surprisingly, Barbara was already planning to open a similar two cousins. Special Care Unit on the Southside. She explained to the Committee that Below those children that had transport from the Southside are spending ‘two to Children enjoying the show, Christmas Treat, three hours in a minibus to get to and from the unit in Ballymun’. She also Rialto Cinema. Evening Herald made representations to the newly created Dublin Health Authority. 20th Dec 1967. The Health Authority had a site available on their own grounds in 44 Crumlin. They offered to pay 75% of the building and equipment costs. St. Michael’s House grabbed this opportunity and began preparing a budget for the new centre. Each new month brought a new plan which evolved from a previous plan. Progress was swift. The National Rehabilitation Board visited the new training workshop in Finglas and agreed to give them an annual grant. Possible school sites were visited in Raheny. The State transport company, Coras Iompar Eireann (CIE), who recently became responsible for running a free bus service for special national schools agreed to fund the Ballymun and Grosvenor busses. Internal development had also become more complex. In June 1967, CEO Des Hand initiated a full pay review across the Association. A ‘lack of uniformity’ in staff terms of employment had evolved as a ‘consequence of the piecemeal build-up of the staff over the years to meet the exigencies from time to time.’ A decision at this time to shorten the title of the Association to St. Michael’s House caused concern that the Organisation’s unique identity might be compromised. Their particular emphasis on the development of day services and direct involvement with the children and families they worked with had begun to be recognised and admired by other similar organisations. With its new School and Special Care Unit, the flagship centre in Ballymun established St. Michael’s House’s place within services for children with intellectual disabilities in Dublin. A fresh level of activity quickly grew up around it. The fundraising committee began running dances in the school hall on Sunday afternoons. These popular ‘hops’ were seen as a way of giving something back to the local community and were a valuable money spinner. That December, the children of the Association were treated to the annual film matinee at the Rialto Cinema, Dolphin’s Barn. They were joined by Orphan children from residential homes across Dublin. Over 1,600 attended and any profit from the outing was donated to the funds of the Association. Ballymun also hosted the Association’s first Open Day for parents and friends that December. It drew a large number of parents. There had been a recent decline in the involvement of families, which was a worrying trend. The relationship between the parents and professionals was a delicate one and needed nurturing. Regular sharing of in- formation about the world of their children was imperative.

Left Irish Press article highlighting the services of St. Michael’s House 1967. 45

If the focus for the previous two years had been on the Northside, then in 1968 it turned south once more. The New Year began with a series of new developments. The offices of the Central Remedial Clinic (CRC) at Prospect Hall in Goatstown were put up for sale. The CRC had been founded in 1951 by Lady Valerie Goulding and Kathleen O’Connor when Polio arrived in Ireland. Their Organisation quickly grew. It offered a range of physiotherapy services to people with physical disabilities, which continued long after the Polio outbreak had subsided. In 1968, Lady Goulding, who was now Chairperson and Director of the CRC, decided to move Northside to a site on Vernon Avenue, Clontarf. Barbara and some committee members visited Prospect Hall and, with its extra space and therapeutic swimming pool, quickly saw its potential as a Southside base. Lady Goulding accepted their offer of £25,000, which was a sizeable amount for 1968. It would be another six months before the Minister for Health Sean Flanagan confirmed funding towards this purchase. But they pressed on. Right Prospect Hall, the new St. Michael’s House headquarters purchased from Valerie Goulding of the Central Remedial Clinic, 1968. A further pledge of £5,000 from the Irish Society of Autistic Children came with a proposal for a special partnership. Some of their members needed placement in a sheltered workshop. In return for the cash injection of £5,000, St. Michael’s House agreed to reserve ten places in their new sheltered workshop in Goatstown for the Society, and offered them a room in Prospect Hall as a base. Until this time Grosvenor Road Special National School had been the Southside hub for the Associations activities. It facilitated the growing Advisory Clinic sessions as well as providing office space. A recent application to extend had been turned down and the addition of an hour to the school day compounded the difficulties. But the centre’s staff and volunteers rose to the challenges and kept things moving. At the twelfth AGM in Ballymun in April, Declan announced the Goatstown purchase, and Barbara Stokes reported that work was commencing on the second Junior Special Care Unit. As she wrote in the Annual Report: ‘The problem of a site was solved, with the generous provision of part of the Dublin Health Authority’s ground next to their clinic on Curlew Road, Drimnagh. Again, supported by the UCO we are able to approach the Dublin Health Authority for a capital sum.’ 46

The new crest was introduced at the AGM, and details were given about their plans Above to become a new limited company. Christo Gore Grimes had drawn up the necessary changes with help from his son Anthony, a newly qualified solicitor. Anthony carried St Michael’s House introduced on the relationship with St. Michael’s House after his father. ‘It had been a simple a new crest in 1968. Designed by Dan O’Leary association of parents and friends.’ says Anthony. ‘But suddenly it was a business with a lot of liabilities. The original people simply could not accept that if something went wrong, they would be responsible.’ In the spring of 1968 Barbara overhauled the Advisory sessions. This service, which Carlo Pietzner had established in 1956, would now be delivered through the Child Development Clinic in Goatstown. “Our Child Development Clinics must sift out those who cannot attend nursery schools, play groups and infant classes and who will benefit from a period in a Special Care Unit or pre-school nursery… the clinic is also available to advise parents whose children are failing to progress normally at school. There is a great need for expansion of these ser- vices, as the waiting lists are too long.” That summer a number of new staff joined St. Michael’s House, including the Finglas Training Workshop Manager D.P. Donnelly and Nurse Betty Rooney, who would manage the new Junior Special Care Unit in Crumlin. Betty worked in Ballymun for a month and relocated to Drimnagh in December: ‘We were based between the convent and the health centre just off Mourne Road. We moved into a half-finished building because Dr Stokes thought that if we moved in, it would get the builders out quicker!’ By then, the administrative staff were in their new Headquarters in Goatstown, as was Barbara’s Child Development Clinic. Left Patrick Hillery, Minister for Labour opening the new St. Michael’s House Headquarters in Goatstown 1968. Christo Gore Grimes, Declan Costello and J.P. O’Brien and Madge Atock (Co founder). In the previous eighteen months, both Grosvenor Road and Ballymun had had several break-ins and reports of vandalism. The culprits in Ballymun had been caught and charged. But the new Junior Special Care Unit at Crumlin was subjected to ferocious treatment right from the start. At an Extraordinary General Meeting in Grosvenor Road on the 26 November the business of the original Association was wound up when members voted unanimously 47

for the creation of the new Limited Company. This confirmed that ‘the Association of Parents and Friends’ would from now on be known simply as ‘St. Michael’s House’. Patsy became one of three Vice Presidents alongside Dudley Robertson and Christo Gore Grimes. Madge would continue as Honorary Secretary. The business concluded, and the members present stayed on for a drinks party during which old hands such as Patsy, Declan and Madge mingled alongside the new leaders Des Hand and Chairman J.P. O’Brien. More than fifty members met for the final fundraising meeting of the year, to hear that the Mansion House Sale of Work raised £2,000. There were also good returns from the UCO Dance and the organisation’s first dog show. Every penny was counted. The traders’ bills for the month of November 1968 showed they had spent a total of £1,525, not including salaries. The breakdown included: Below Child Development Clinic £256 Sale of Work Mansion Ballymun School £218 House, 1968. Grosvenor Road Training Workshop £70 48 Ballymun SCU £145 Crumlin SCU £106 Central Association £237 £419 At the end of the year they had a deficit of just over £5,000. This was a major concern for Des Hand, who knew the risks as more services were introduced and salary increases implemented. He was also concerned that the Executive Committee was becoming ‘somewhat isolated from the day-to-day traumas and challenges encountered by parents.’ In February 1969, at a special meeting to address the problem he proposed that each unit would be linked to the Executive and be given some budgetary freedom. He also suggested that parents be facilitated to connect more directly with their units. A new General Purposes Committee began meeting almost at once to address these issues. Also, given last year’s deficit, he launched the Fundraising Committee under the chairmanship of Jim Daly, a recent volunteer. Born in Dublin in 1928, Jim had become involved with St. Michael’s House through his friend Joe Hickey. Joe had a son with Down’s Syndrome and he was Chairman of the original Fundraising Committee. Jim brought new ideas to this important committee. They had raised £11,000 the year before; and Des needed more. The Sheltered Workshop opened in Goatstown in April with D.P. Donnelly as manager. Most of the ten trainees had graduated from the eighteen-month course

Left Patrick Hillery, Minister for Labour, J.P. O’Brien (Chairman) and Patsy Farrell at the opening of the Sheltered Workshop in Goatstown April 1969. at the Training Workshop in Finglas. A small number of Finglas graduates had found other employment, but the open market was unprepared to take on people with a learning disability. By opening the first Sheltered Workshop (later to be called Long Term Training Centres) St. Michael’s House was committing to the welfare of young adults and providing ongoing programmes beyond school. D.P. Donnelly wrote in Impact 1969: The employees’ clock in and out, work a seven-hour day, receive three weeks holidays and a week for Easter and Christmas. They dine in the workshop canteen and have music while they work. They receive a basic wage and a production bonus. They are encouraged to take an interest in their work which is performed at their own pace in a pleasant atmosphere conductive to good production. Where possible jobs are a team effort with each person making their contribution to the finished article, which can be seen and handled by each employee. This gives a purpose to their work when seen in the light of the finished product. In addition, it creates a sense of social dependence and reinforces the ideal that they must depend on and contribute to the total team effort. The type of work undertaken must be of a wide variety regarding type and work content, because we have employees with mild and moderate, and some with dual handicaps. This work ranges from simple folding to packing assembly of electrical components and complete fittings, manufacture of metal and polythene products, work in tweeds, preparation of display aids, collating and postal work. In time we hope to impress on industrialist that with proper training and by reducing a job to its basic requirements a mentally handicapped person can satisfactorily complete most tasks. This small workshop in Goatstown would be a major step in the story of the Association. One of the requirements of the new workshop was that the employees had to travel independently. Finding a job outside the workshop would most likely mean having to use public transport. Trainee Francis Lally recalls having to go out of his way to collect a friend to bring him to the workshop which involved getting on and off several buses each day. 49

I had to get the 54A from the top of the Cromwellsfort Road and get off then at Abbey Street. Then I’d get a 35 out from there to Jamestown Road. And then I had to bring Donal Mooney. I used to have to bring him back across town when I was coming home. An independent travel programme had also recently been introduced in the schools. Understandably it created anxieties for parents as they waited each afternoon for their children to come home. Within the month, Barbara had new proposals. She had sought approval from the Department of Education to introduce remedial classes to the workshops. But her priority was the ‘urgency of establishing an occupational centre for the school leavers who cannot attend the workshop.’ It was agreed that a new centre would be set up and run like an adult version of a Special Care Unit. Describing the existing Special Care Unit in Ballymun, Barbara said: Above ‘The unit was intended to be a pilot scheme and the buildings are of minimal size. Therefore, the problem of older children is insurmountable. Once we get a group of Described as “An unstoppable adolescent teenagers, their physical demands will be too great.’ force” Sally Keogh started as a Bus Driver, later Manager The second Special Care Unit provided for a wide mix of children. ‘We started with and Nurse, and Betty Rooney, over thirty children and quite a small staff,’ says Betty Rooney. Her close friend, bus Manager of the Special driver Sally Keogh described the circumstances: Care Unit, Drimnagh. The children came from all over, from as far as Clondalkin, from Blackrock and Mount Merrion. You couldn’t bus them around now, not in today’s traffic. We used to stop off each day at Mount Merrion, just to let them out to get fresh air. In May, the Department of Education approved funding for remedial reading classes in Goatstown. The services were progressing on the Southside, but remained frustratingly stalled on the Northside. Raheny had been targeted for a school and a Junior Special Care Unit on the same site as in Ballymun. Despite a positive response from the State, only the Special Care Unit could be built on the small site provided. At a specially convened meeting in November, Des explained that their rapid expansion along with salary increases and the recently established pension scheme was beginning to increase the overall deficit. They would need to generate at least another £20,000 a year. Joe proposed hiring more qualified personnel. Declan urged caution saying that every little detail must be examined, and every economy made to stem the growing deficit. ‘Broader aspects of policy’ raised at the meeting included the provision of a fully supervised hostel where people in emergency circumstances could reside. Barbara wholeheartedly supported this proposal and described regularly receiving pleas for help from families due to an illness, a crisis or even sometimes the death of a parent. The Committee agreed. The appropriate funding would just have to be found, even though they faced into a new year with a deficit of more than £8,000. What they had started more than ten years before was just the beginning, care must be provided for from early years well into adult life. 50

On 15 December 1969, the Tánaiste and Minister for Health, Erskine Childers, Above Tánaiste and Minister for and a long-time supporter of St. Michael’s House officially opened the Junior Special Health Erskine Childers, Care Unit in Crumlin. But the Unit continued to be vandalised, this time on three Christo Gore Grimes, and occasions over eight days in January 1970. The frequency and intensity of the Barbara Stokes at the vandalism was disturbing... opening of the Junior Special Care Unit, Crumlin 1969. Every school and unit had experienced disturbances of one sort or another. The dances at Ballymun had to be cancelled after a number of scuffles broke out in the 51 hall. But, inexplicably, Crumlin suffered most at the hands of Dublin’s growing youth population. ‘The locals were very friendly’, says Betty Rooney, ‘We never could believe it was locals that did it. But you never knew.’ There was a further setback when the Training Workshop in Finglas had to be abandoned. Supervisors arrived one morning to find a large chunk of plaster had fallen from the ceiling in one of the rooms. On the advice of the architects, the trainees were sent home and the parents notified of the cancellation. Jamestown House, which in 1961 Matt Gallagher said would last ‘for at least another five years’ was finally levelled nine years later. Matt promised to find a new site for their first hostel on the Northside. Around this time also, a small pilot adult version of the Special Care Unit was opened for twelve people with more severe intellectual disabilities in a temporary wooden chalet next to the main house in Goatstown. The Unit Head Elsie Burhill described the service:

‘Twelve young adults ranging in age from fifteen to thirty-six, all have improved since coming here. They haven’t all come through St. Michael’s House. The older ones have been living at home all their lives and are over-protected, causing them to be very shy and nervous. But since coming to the Adult Special Care Unit they are learning to mix with the others, gaining confidence and doing things for themselves.’ No sooner had this service been launched, than Barbara had a waiting list for similar units in other parts of the city. The Child Development Clinic in Goatstown was busy and she was planning a second Clinic on the Northside. The pace was accelerating. A station wagon was donated by Crawford’s, CIE provided additional transport for Ballymun, and the Dublin Health Authority offered a premises near Darndale. Not surprisingly this building at Belcamp Park was old and in need of repair. Its size and age made it unsuitable for use as a hostel. But, recognising an opportunity, Barbara proposed locating a second Adult Special Care Unit there and building a sheltered workshop on the grounds. Costs in general were rising in a country that had only recently joined the European Economic Community (EEC), and while there were calls to increase membership rates and charges to the families. J.P. opposed burdening the parents further. As Declan described the situation at the time: It may happen to any organisation – business or charity – that its activities outstrip its resources and as a result a critical situation develops. We have not reached that critical point. But we must take urgent steps to ensure that we do not reach a position where a child or a young adult is deprived of services because we have not the money to give them. The Organisation kept the Government informed of their concerns and constantly demanded more money. Barbara persuaded the Department of Health that Assessment and Diagnosis was an essential component of the Service and 100 per cent funding was sanctioned for her second Child Development Clinic. However, the Department exacted a commitment that this service would be made available to children outside the St. Michael’s House catchment area. In 1970 St. Michael’s House joined with St. John of God for a combined summer holiday to the Isle of Man. They also ran their first fundraising trip to Lourdes. Jim Daly and his committee had raised a record £14,000 that year. Then ‘word came through from Government sources that they would match any money we raised’ said Jim. ‘It was essential capital to expand the Association, to get out there and build schools. A full-time Fundraising manager was appointed.’ There was no waste. In October 1970 the organisation’s accountants reported that ‘economies are not feasible as there is no over-spending in the running of the units’. Barbara’s priorities now included the appointment of their first full-time physiotherapist. The new Sheltered Workshop in Goatstown was running to full capacity; she wanted one for the Northside. And having established a service for school leavers, she now wanted to develop a pre-school service for toddlers. In 1971 Ireland relied on its membership of the EEC for future growth. While there was widespread coverage of the civil unrest on the streets in Northern Ireland, debate in the Irish media was dominated by the introduction of the contraceptive pill and a controversial “contraceptive” train to Belfast. 52

For St. Michael’s House, 1971 began with a deficit of more than £8,000 and overly ambitious plans for growing the services. Those plans included a new Special Care Unit, a National School, and a hostel in Raheny, an Adult Special Care Unit at Belcamp, and a Child Development Clinic and Training Workshop (to replace Finglas) for Ballymun. Another source of substantial funding was urgently required in the coming months. Up to that point the organisation’s fundraising activities tended to concentrate on the communities in which they were located. The bingo, cake sales, dog shows, discos, golf outings, fashion shows, cheese and wine evenings, movie matinees and the occasional concert not only raised money, but also their profile in the area. Then there were the occasional city-wide efforts such as the Flag Days and the Mansion House sale. But it was the innovative idea of a city walk, jointly sponsored with UCO that really mobilised the fundraisers in February 1971. The ten mile walk was sponsored by the Evening Press and the Quinn Supermarket Group. Instead of starting from the one point, it would originate from a number of designated locations on both sides of the city and converge on Croke Park. There would be entertainment and an extraordinary game of football between the senators and TDs of the Oireachtas. The star-studded line-up for the concert included The Urge, The Dubliners and Dickie Rock and the special guest was to be the British TV star and comedian Harry Worth. Left Ticket for the City Charity Walk for St. Michael’s House 1971. 53

Below Extensive press coverage gave prominence to the work of the UCO and St. Michael’s House who, it said, ‘urgently needed more funds to meet the growing demands of Oireactas Football Match in its services’. Two weeks before the walk, Jim Daly predicted that 15,000 would be Croke Park and Charity Walk: participating and fund-raising for St. Michael’s House. An Taoiseach Jack Lynch, Sean Flanagan, Minister Sunday 4 April, the day of the walk, was cloudy but dry. Long before the start time of 1 for Health and J.P. O’Brien pm, the crowds began to arrive in their thousands at the eight different starting points, from Chairman of St. Michael’s Killlester to Rathfarnham. The Evening Press reported: ‘Aged from eight to eighty, small, tall House Sunday 4th April 1971. strident marchers and Sunday saunterers, all 20,000 of them turned out yesterday to make the charity walk a resounding success,’ The walkers were monitored and marshalled by groups from the FCA, the UCO and the St John’s Ambulance. Some strode ahead to get a good seat in Croke Park, with most arriving by 4p.m. and an extra 10,000 non-marchers crowded into the stadium to enjoy the entertainment. Fr. Michael Cleary refereed the Oireachtas football game which followed the wonderful show. The two teams, Leinster–Ulster against Connacht–Munster, included TDs Brendan Corish, Jim Tunney, David Andrews, Brian Lenihan and Mark Killilea. Those involved had a great time, as did the spectators. The final score was Connacht–Munster 5-2, Leinster–Ulster 3-4. 54

Left Evening Press Newspaper reporting on The Big Charity Walk and Football Match for St. Michael’s House April 1971. 55

Above St. Michael’s House felt very satisfied too. Not only Newspaper coverage of would they benefit financially, but they were also the St. Michael’s House now a nationwide name, having scored generous annual Flag Days. publicity points in the eyes of the State and the public. In May, a cheque for almost £18,000 arrived. Above Dr. Patricia Sheehan The Flag Day too, had surprisingly raised an with the children in the extra £4,500. This surge from deficit to surplus Blackquire Bridge School gave them a much-needed psychological boost. in Phibsboro, 1971. ‘We needed money to keep our existing services going – we got it’, wrote Declan Costello in the annual report. But he cautioned: ‘The needs in this city have not yet been met – not by a long way. Urgently a new school must be built in Raheny, a new training workshop in Ballymun and a beginning made in the provision of hostel accommodation. It is clear that our share in the capital outlay will run into many thousands of pounds.’ Within a few hectic months opportunities to expand had emerged on both sides of the city, generated by the publicity surrounding the Charity Walk. The new Adult Special Care Unit in Belcamp, with room for ten people, opened in April. The renovations were completed with help from a group of ex-prisoners from PACE, an organisation who assisted in their rehabilitation. ‘They responded enthusiastically, delighted to help these people whom to their surprise they found were worse off than themselves’, read that year’s annual report. Crumlin continued to suffer from local vandalism. A temporary fence was torn down within 24 hours and the local authority refused to build a wall. Still Betty, Sally and the staff persevered with the task of providing for the children. In May 1971 the Church of Ireland offered a vacant old school premises next to Blackquire Bridge in Phibsboro. This would help alleviate the growing waiting list for school places. The school opened a month later in June, with two classes and twenty-six children aged between six and eight, much to Barbara’s relief. In the same month the Cheeverstown Convalescent Home in Templeogue decided to provide for people with learning disabilities. They planned for a residential centre with room for twenty beds, catering for people with severe learning difficulties. As they lacked the expertise to run such a centre, they invited St. Michael’s House to become involved. Barbara Stokes saw Cheeverstown as yet another opportunit y to expand their services, particularly on the Southside, despite concerns that moving into an institutionalised setting was contrary to their community-based model of service. A joint St. Michael’s House and Cheeversstown committee would manage this service. Inevitably, the Charity Walk had diverted staff resources from other events including the Isle of Man holiday. Instead, Barbara instigated plans to run a holiday camp at the Ballymun Centre. 56

The camp catered for twenty children per week and was Above reliant on the voluntary support of St. Michael’s House staff, assisted by volunteers from the Social Science Department in Going home on the Trinity College. These camps were real holidays, not only for minbus: students from the Blackquire Bridge the children of St. Michael’s House but for the parents who had School Phibsboro, 1971. never contemplated the possibility of a break like this before. The camps proved an immediate success and families requested more the following year. Throughout 1971, there had been numerous developments across the organisation. The new Junior Special Care Unit in Raheny opened in September. Bernie Perry’s son Mark who had started in the SCU in Ballymun and was now 6 years old was pleased he had been offered a place much closer to home. An experienced potter Paddy Weston helped to expand the Sheltered Workshop in Goatstown, and goods were produced for sale at the Spring Show in the RDS. Life in the existing units went on. Ballymun got a budgie called ‘Mike’, donated by the Ballymun and Santry Community festival committee. A further twenty trainees graduated from the eighteen-month course in the Training Workshop. A small number had found open employment through family contacts, but the majority joined the ever-increasing waiting list for the only sheltered workshop, in Goatstown. The pottery project was expanding, but they already had an excess of workers. The waiting lists represented the prospect of months, perhaps years of inactivity for young adults and a problem for parents. People such as Ronnie Deegan from Cabra West had been through the system. Educated in Jamestown and Ballymun, Ronnie remembers: ‘I waited at home for about a year until they opened a new workshop. That was boring, rambling around doing nothing.’ In September 1971 Barbara proposed adapting the building in Belcamp as their second Sheltered Workshop to ease the waiting list. The published report of Inquiry on Services for Mental Handicap 1965 which had recommended the establishment of assessment services was now operational in 1971. For St. Michael’s House this involved their own psychologists, along with several sessional specialists, attending the Child Development Clinic to assess children referred by the Department of Health or Department of Education. Children were referred for consultation to be assessed for developmental delay, executive functioning, speech and language and disability. This resulted in their one Child Development Clinic in Goatstown coming under increasing pressure, even though Barbara was now planning a second clinic for Ballymun. Lucy Walsh, a trainee psychologist who joined in 1971, reflects on her experiences: ‘At that time, I was part of a multidisciplinary team assessing children who had newly been referred to St. Michael’s house by the Children’s Hospitals and School Medical Service. The children would arrive in our clinic, where we became accustomed to seeing a wide range of learning difficulties, intellectual disabilities, specific reading and arithmetic dif- ficulties, and general developmental delay.’ 57

Above ‘Many of these children were placed in St. Michael’s House services, or came Lucy Walsh one of the to attend special classes in a national school or at our own after-school at first trainee psychologists the clinic in Goatstown. Of course, the psychological needs of a child are al- appointed in 1971. ways changing, and part of my work was the systemic review of each child’s placement on an annual basis. In some cases, we would make an onward 58 referral for a child to reach another, specialised service that would meet their needs’. The Head of the Psychology Dept., Sally Jackson, who had recruited Lucy, had a particular interest in the area of Vocational Guidance and Career Guidance. This informally became part of the services offered through the psychology department to the benefit of the adolescent and young adult clients! St. Michael’s House also had a remit at the time for diagnostic assessment for children referred by the School Medical Services in Cavan, Leitrim and Roscommon. This led to multidisciplinary team visiting these counties annually for a number of years. The role of the psychology department gradually evolved as the team got to know their clients and families. They became more involved with the support staff and day-to-day programmes within the services, which helped them to be more effective at meeting their clients’ psychological needs. As Lucy explains ‘Our work became less clinic-based, and monthly meetings now included staff and other clinicians working within our units. Reviews with families were arranged with these teams when required.’ ‘Dr. Stokes as Medical Director and Sally Jackson were ahead of their time in nurturing these developments. Gradually, more clinicians with a wider range of therapeutic exper- tise were recruited to meet the growing needs of children, adults and their families in our service. Despite its many challenges, it was a particularly exciting and innovative environment for a young psychologist to work in, then and throughout my years in St. Michael’s House.’ Like everything else in St. Michael’s House, the Clinic had to evolve in order to provide for the ever-growing needs of their community. As Medical Director, Barbara recognised the potential to provide much more than just assessment, and she would recruit professionals who would help develop this service. According to their annual report for 1971 they had ‘500 children and young adults in our care and a staff of 100’. The clinicians also noted that ‘the increasing number of units and the ever-worsening traffic conditions means that much time previously available for patients is now spent in their cars!’ In 1972 an innovative model for the organisation’s first community home was developed and approved by the Department of Health and work began on the site at Grangemore. This first group home would be a major strategic move into the heart of the community, reflecting their conviction that the best place for a group home was among everyone else’s homes. However, not everyone would share their philosophy. Before Grangemore was opened, a temporary home became available at Sycamore Road in Mount Merrion which was close to Goatstown and ideal for their purposes. Staff were appointed and its first residents were two young men in urgent need of accommodation.

From the start, the local residents put pressure on St. Michael’s to move out and Below even suggested alternative accommodation in an unsuitable house in Bray. At a heated meeting just before Christmas 1971, the committee reported ‘the people concerned David Kenefick, and Michael Murphy trainee were not prepared to discuss the situation rationally’. Psychologists joined in 1972. Although it was a temporary home, a further two young adults moved into Sycamore Road in early 1972. The organisation reluctantly bowed to the residents’ pressure and agreed to be out by June. The whole experience had provided some valuable lessons and plans were developed to ensure a more positive image of their work in any area before moving into future homes. For some time, Barbara had promoted commissioning a study into learning disability, particularly in relation to Down’s Syndrome. In early 1972 she met with the newly formed Down’s Syndrome Association of Ireland and they agreed to invest £250 each in a joint study. A proposal to start a toy library, with specialised toys for the children to play with outside of unit times came from newly appointed Psychologist, Sally Jackson. Violet Gill, volunteer explains: It leant out specialised toys – not breakable ones and not teddies. Anyhow, you couldn’t lend a child a teddy one week and then take it back! So Irene Richardson and I went off to a conference in London. We knew nothing about toy libraries beyond what Sally said, which was that we ought to have one. When we went to London we saw for ourselves that these toys were corrective, that they gave a child something that they could manipulate. Soon afterwards their own small library in Grosvenor Road was lending out toys. It was another important development in not only caring for and stimulating the children but indicated their confidence to adopt new ideas. Into this atmosphere of learning and growth came a young psychologist, David Kenefick, who joined the Clinic in 1972. He recalls: ‘It was very small. There were very few people who were full-time. A consultant psychiatrist came and went between there and Harcourt Street and another hospital, so she was only there one or two sessions a week. Barbara was in and out. In the early days the clinical staff would have been Sally Jackson, Michael Murphy, Lucy Walsh, myself, and Maura Stevenson who was the Head of Social Work.’ Within a few months David had begun to understand the pace and ethos that drove the agency. He regularly visited and got to know the people in the workshop and the special care unit located on the same complex. For David, it was Barbara Stokes who ran St. Michael’s House, and Des Hand was an anonymous executive whom he seldom met. Barbara was in a position to recruit psychologists, as the Department of Health were funding the assessment services. David observed how she integrated other clinical work within their roles. On the Northside, the Medical Director established a small clinic in a temporary premises on Mobhi Road, near their centre in Ballymun. Another young psychologist called Michael Murphy describes starting out in Goatstown, and working three days a week on the Northside. There he assessed three children a day, focusing on their skills in areas such as reading and maths before determining their level of disability and recommending a plan of action. Michael also remembers that ‘many children were from national schools 59

and the School Medical Service outside St. Michael’s House, as part of the agreement with the Health Board’. Ballymun itself was in a constant state of change. Some of the Association’s land was lost when Ballymun Road and Griffith Avenue were widened. But a deal was struck with the owners of St Claire’s next door, and soon after construction began on the new Child Development Clinic and Training Workshop, along with an extension to the existing Special Care Unit. During the summer, the residents of Sycamore Road hostel had to move to another temporary premises in Belcamp. The permanent site for the hostel on Grangemore Estate in Raheny would be ready early the following year: a double house which would be home to a maximum of ten residents, and would include a self-contained flat for staff. The holiday camps which had started out as a pilot programme in Ballymun were now also being organised for the Special Care Units in Goatstown and Belcamp. The temporary Child Development Clinic at Mobhi Road appointed a second social worker and the Department of Education approved remedial classes there in September. It was, as Barbara had planned, another new service provided by the Clinic, one which extended their remit beyond assessment. Attending at the turning of the Sod for the Clinic and Training Centre Ballymun 1972. (From left to right) Des Hand, Managing director of St. Michael’s House, Yvonne Posternak, (Belgium) President of International League of Societies for Persons with Mental Handicap (ILSMH), Renee Portray (Switzerland) Secretary of ILSMH, Mr. Pat Maloney, Chairman of 5th World Congress of ILSMH on Mental Handicap, Mrs. Louise Stewart (Canada) outgoing Chairman of 4th World Congress, Dr. Patsy Sheehan, St. Michael’s House, Dr. Maureen Walsh, St. Michael’s House, Dr. Barbara Stokes, Medical Director St. Michael’s House and Mrs. Elizabeth O’ Driscoll, Principle of Ballymun Special National School. 60

The fundraising committee organised another Charity Walk Concert and Oireachtas Below Match on Sunday 26 March 1972. This time there were more starting points to walk from, shorter routes, and a mass of German marching bands waiting to welcome the big Turning the sod on the crowd to Croke Park. Celebrities including Dickie Rock, Maureen Potter, Thin Lizzy and Clinic and Training Centre The Wolfe Tones were performing. Unfortunately, on the day, fresh winds and pelting Ballymun, Yvonne Posternak, (Belgium) President of ILSMH. rain joined forces to keep the walkers away. While £13,000 was a substantial sum, this was a reminder that fundraising could not be relied on to automatically increase each year. However, in total St. Michael’s House did raise over £50,000 in real funds in 1972, the same amount as the previous year. 61

Of all the offers that St. Michael’s House received, one of the most unusual came from a man called Michael ‘Butty’ Sugrue in 1972. Butty had convinced Muhammad Ali to come to Dublin for his fortieth professional boxing fight. Butty proposed that St. Michael’s House, St John of Gods, Sisters of Charity and Stewarts Hospital would share the profits from the night’s takings. The fight attracted widespread coverage as being ‘in aid of the mentally handicapped’. On a balmy July evening Muhammad Ali fought Al ‘Blue’ Lewis in a packed Croke Park. However, due to the lack of organised security, thousands invaded the stands for free, causing a great deal of confusion and anger. But the fight went ahead and in the eleventh round Ali floored Lewis, much to the crowd’s delight. Due to the lost revenue at the turnstiles, Butty didn’t have anything to give the nominated agencies. Muhammad Ali would return many years later to Croke Park, and this time his appearance would benefit people with intellectual disabilities throughout the world. There were new funding avenues now available from the EEC, including the European Social Fund, which was established to stimulate growth in vocational training. Construction at Grangemore was completed in April with another 75% grant from the Dublin Health Authority. Located next to a small park on Grangemore Estate, the two semi-detached houses were interconnected. The house parents were a married couple and the first residents moved into their new home in May. Grangemore received an official opening by the new Minister for Health, Brendan Corish on October 3rd and it aimed to involve the neighbourhood residents from the start. Stephen Hennessy, who began his career later with St. Michael’s House in Grangemore in 1977, believes that one of the defining characteristics of that house was the interaction with their neighbours who were mostly young married couples: ‘We were part of the Residents’ Association. They did fundraising and undertook organising of parties or celebrations such as somebody’s birthday. The local priest visited us and everybody knew who we were. There was a proactive approach to letting people know what St. Michael’s House was, explaining the values that underpinned the work, and making sure our profile was well known in the local area.’ Right Stephen Hennessy with staff and residents of Grangemore. 62

A report commissioned by St. Michael’s House and published in the summer of 1973 describes how: ‘The organisation has grown significantly in the past few years and further projects are either in progress or under consideration… Diagnostic clinics, remedial treatment, schools, special care units for children and adults, a training centre, sheltered workshops and a residential home… Over 500 handicapped people attend the St. Michael’s House establishments. The services are offered at eight locations over a large geographical area. This programme indicates that the high growth rate of the past few years will continue for some time to come.’ All this growth came at a price of course, and Declan’s annual report noted that their reserves had been pushed to the limit. And more money challenges were to come as the Arab oil embargo doubled oil prices and businesses struggled as inflation soared. This would catch up with St. Michael’s House the following year. But at the end of 1973 the pottery in Goatstown reported a big increase in its revenue and they needed a second kiln to meet the demand. At the Christmas dance the mood was described as remarkably upbeat. It seemed as if nothing could dampen their enthusiasm. ***** The bad weather at the beginning of 1974 presented the first of a number of Below challenges. Storm damage shut the training workshop, then based in Griffith Barracks. The severe cold hampered construction of the Clinic and workshop in Ballymun. At Pat Maloney appointed CEO the end of January, St. Michael’s House had to start looking for a new boss as Des was of St. Michael’s House resigning after six years at the helm. The Board immediately set about the task of finding a successor. April 1974. Pat Moloney was appointed as the new CEO in April. No stranger to the activities of St. Michael’s House, he had watched the course they had taken through the 1960s and ’70s. He understood its unique place within the services and was impressed by its commitment. He also knew the key people and he was more than keen to get on board: ‘I had links with Barbara and Declan through the National Association (for the Mentally Handicapped). I was Director of the Brothers of Charity’s services in Ireland, Scotland and England at the age of thirty-two, which could have been a vital error on their part as I had all the crassness of youth and energy, but none of the wisdom. I had a particular interest in St. Michael’s House because I was impressed with what I saw. I used St. Michael’s in my lectures at international level as a model of good practice and Day Care Services, and I knew that they were going the right way.’ Pat’s arrival coincided with the negative effects of the oil crisis. Heating in the units had to be rationed. Their overall deficit had doubled to £12,000. And it would double again. 63

Below State funding was constantly deferred, and St. Michael’s House had to increase their overdraft, and trust that the Government would back them. ‘The funding was absolutely Opening of the Child on a knife edge,’ says Pat, ‘particularly at the advent of the oil crisis and the rampant Development Clinic, inflation – it was a major issue when I started.’ Ballymun (left to right) Richard Burke, Minister There was a nationwide air of unease and even nurses threatened to strike as they for Education, Dr. Barbara demanded a pay rise. Pat’s response included a general pay review and in August, he Stokes, Medical Director, Mr. commissioned a new independent management survey to explore ways to ‘maintain Brendan Cornish, Tanaiste, and improve efficiency’. ‘There was a lot of change,’ says David Kenefick. ‘Pat came with and Minister for Health, a reputation for having worked elsewhere in learning disability and for having a lot of Mr. J.P. O’Brien, Chairman of St. Michael’s House and experience. He was extremely well connected.’ Mr. Declan Costello, T.D., President of St. Michael’s That summer the Training Workshop and the Child Development Clinic moved to House. November 1974. their new premises in Ballymun. Both were officially opened on the same day, November 20th, but by separate ministers! Right Students from Sheltered Workshop, Goatstown demonstrate their work to Minister for Health and Social Welfare, Mr. Brendan Cornish, Tanaiste, Richard Burke, T.D. Minister for Education, and Mr. J.P. O’Brien, Chairman. 64

Meanwhile, the jointly managed Cheeverstown Centre received approval and funding from the Department of Health, and the two Associations agreed to move the Adult Special Care Unit from Goatstown to Cheeverstown. The provision of a Special National School in the Raheny area had been on Barbara’s list for more than ten years. Declan met with the Minister for Education John Bruton, who in principle was prepared to increase their funding to 90 per cent of the total cost. But in practice, given such fierce financial times that amount was not available for a building costing £150,000. St. Michael’s House resolved to come up with a more manageable plan for the school. Not even the Flag Day total of more than £5,000 could ease the growing strain on their reserves. By the end of 1974, their deficit stood at £38,000. In June 1974 Madge Atock passed away. As a co-founder, she had from the start shared the job of Honorary Secretary of St. Michael’s House with Patsy Farrell. When Patsy’s role changed, Madge carried on as Honorary Secretary and she remained deeply committed to the growth of the Association. The passing of her great friend contributed to distancing Patsy a little further from the activities of St. Michael’s House. By 1975 the desire to develop new services was as great as ever, but the consolidation of the existing services was even more pressing. However, Pat Moloney’s policy with the State was clear – plan ahead and put a figure on it. He believed passionately that the State should not be funding part of the services; they should be funding all of it: ‘The Health Board was the body with the responsibility for the well-being of the clients and I kept in close contact with them. The funding came from the Department. But I would let everyone know what was happening, for the benefit of all sides. St. Michael’s, like many others, were looked upon as doing good work and to be applauded publicly, but in terms of actually backing that up with hard cash, that was a different issue altogether.’ Left The 1975 World Congress on Disabilities with Dr. Barbara Stokes (third from left), Rennie Portray (front 4th from left), Secretary of the International League of Societies for Persons with Mental Handicap and Mr. Pat Maloney, Chairman of World Congress and CEO of St. Michael’s House visiting President Childers in Údarás na Gaeltachta. 65

Above In January 1975 Pat formally demanded a total of £288,000 from the statutory bodies. He sourced £8,500 from the European Social Fund and £12,000 in projected revenue Dr. Barbara Stokes with from the workshops. His request for £30,000 from fundraising was for less than they Rennie Portray, Secretary had raised in 1974. From the start Pat wanted more from the Government and less from of the International League voluntary contributions. of Societies for Persons with Mental Handicap, visiting His relationship with the Department of Education was, he said, ‘one of mutual toleration’: President Childers in Údarás na Gaeltachta. 1975. ‘At all times I made it my business to keep in contact with the Inspectors. I never went to the top without them knowing. We were described by the then-Chief Inspector as a very minor player in the field of education. That didn’t stop us from fighting our corner, and most of the corners we won.’ Ever the negotiator, Pat sought that same clarity from the St. Michael’s house staff. Having overseen a pay review, he understood that a revised salary scheme could not be implemented overnight. He closely studied the working conditions of staff, speaking with trade unions, and meeting with a recently established staff association. Lucy Walsh remembers: ‘There tended to be a lot of controversy as to what people should or shouldn’t be asked to do and a staff association basically grew out of that. The objective was to support everybody, no matter if they were paid or voluntary. It was a pre-runner to people becoming members of unions. There was a huge anti-union lobby at the time; it wasn’t understood, so people were very reluctant to join.’ 66

At this time workers were challenging traditional authoritarian approaches to Above people-management. The “consultant” style of the medical director, particularly towards non-medical staff, needed to adapt to current practices. Pat admits: Staff, Volunteers, Clinicians and Management on ‘One of the tasks I had when I came to this organisation was to slowly dispel the feeling Confirmation day in Junior that people had that they could be sacked summarily after each visit by Barbara. I Special Care Unit, Drimnagh remember telling her about the Minister for Employment and how things were going to with Bishop Dermot change. We never had a row and we respected each other greatly, but slowly that area of O’Mahony (centre) 1974. organisation came into my remit. Barbara genuinely didn’t understand employment law or how it operated. ‘ In April 1975, the organisation’s bank overdraft was at £74,000. With no prospect of Left a new school for some time, the Committee accepted the offer of a temporary premises known as Sunnyside in Blackheath Park in Clontarf. They appointed Doreen Cummins Special National Schools from Ballymun School as Principal and pressed ahead with plans to open in September. provided a carefully adapted system of education designed to develop the social as well as the educational abilities of the special needs child. Emphasis is laid on social training, adaptability and special skills which will be of use to them later in life. Recreation also plays an important role and art, music, ballet, physical education and home economics feature prominently on the programme. The four St. Michael’s House Special National Schools: Grosvenor Road, Ballymun, Blackquire Bridge, Phibsboro and Sunnyside, Clontarf. Reading a story to her students, Doreen Cummins, School Principal in Sunnyside School prior to Raheny National School opening. 67

At the same time, the school at Phibsboro was given a new direction. The previous year, a group of parents had persuaded Barbara to establish the first school in Ireland for children who had a dual diagnosis of intellectual disability and hearing impairment. The Department of Education agreed to fund this pilot project and the new manager, speech neurologist Dr Patricia Sheehan, recruited Noreen McGeough as Principal. The speed at which such developments were implemented was impressive and it mirrored the pace at which the Medical Director was travelling. By 1975 St. Michael’s House was looking after more than 700 people every day in Grosvenor Road, Goatstown, Drimnagh, Ballymun and Belcamp. There were schools in Clontarf and Phibsboro and a community home in Grangemore. Two new social workers, Katie McGing and Pat O’Loughlin had joined the full time staff of 150 bringing “fresh young blood with new ideas” to the ever growing services. Barbara had effectively been the real boss under Des Hand. No other person came close to the energy and determination she displayed in her attempts to make a better life for the children and adults of St. Michael’s House. But faced with industrial change, she, like the rest of the Organisation’s staff, would have to adapt to a more structured regime. For everyone concerned, this would be one of the many challenges to come over the next decade. Right Map showing the positions of St. Michael’s House Units annual report 1975. 68

3 Fostering a Culture of Passion, Hard Work and Innovation 1975 - 1985 ‘Improved services for the deprived must be fought for. The fight is a continual one. After 21 years it is clear to us that it is still in its early stages. The public must be continually made aware of this.’ Declan Costello, on the occasion of the twenty-first birthday of St. Michael’s House. It was the summer of 1976, the year of the heat wave, and England and Ireland were basking in some of the highest temperatures ever recorded. Concorde had begun its transatlantic schedule. Jimmy Carter was on the campaign trail as the next President of the United States in their bicentennial year. In Ireland, the frenzied pace of construction of the previous decade had been pulled back considerably after the oil crisis of 1973. The country slumped under the pressure of inflation and industrial unrest, and war raged in the six Northern counties. As St. Michael’s House entered their third decade and their services expanded, they continued to assert themselves as an innovative organisation that was committed to the needs of its community. They had already earned themselves a reputation for doing things their own way. St. Michael’s House had achieved so much in such a short period of time. Within twenty years they had brought about huge changes in the lives of their service users. Now there were centres, there were schools, units, and workshops. These were the first, brave steps in a dynamic shift in thinking that would help shape the organisation that we know today. Ironically their success was mirrored by the growing waiting lists for places within their services across the city. 69

But a PA Management survey in January 1975 was to impinge upon this organic style of development. ‘Rapid growth has imposed great strains on the decision-making process at executive committee level’, read the report, which highlighted potential areas for improvement. The report recommended the appointment of a suitably qualified accountant, a fundraising officer, and a new commercial manager for the workshops. There was a strong focus on staff and communication. The recently appointed CEO, Pat Moloney, and the Medical Director, Barbara Stokes shared responsibility to implement these personnel-focussed recommendations. Both were leaders with strong opinions about how St. Michael’s House should grow, and both came from different backgrounds. Pat’s approach reflected his experience gained in other services and his close contacts within state departments. He had re- cently chaired the 5th World Congress on Mental Handicap and he had already shifted the organisation to a more professional footing. Barbara too, was an experienced campaigner. She was a staunch defender of the right of every child to access education and development. Her liberal spirit encouraged staff to think outside the box, and in turn she expected nothing short of the best for them. By then St. Michael’s House was providing services for a disabled community in excess of 700. A staff of 150 included unit heads, nurses, assistants, teachers, social workers and psychologists. The Medical Director recognised that there were significant lessons to be learned from the day-to-day running of the services. Barbara knew that while care was very important, learning and developing skills were the means to empower people with disability to live a fuller life both within their services and beyond. Pat Moloney shared this vision and together they were a dynamic force for change. In March 1976, the AGM of the National Association of Mentally Handicapped in Ireland was held in the school hall in Ballymun. The audience of professionals and parents had come to learn more about developments in early-learning skills. The guest speaker was Roy McConkey, co-director of a project on parental involvement in early-years develop- ment at the Hester Adrian Institute in Manchester. His presentation focused on language Right Noreen Buckley and Dr. Barbara Stokes attending AGM of the National Association of Mentally Handicapped in Ireland 1976. 70

and play for children with a learning disability. He provided fresh insights on this vital area of learning, in which Barbara Stokes already had a keen interest. The event was a success, and afterwards the organisers brought Roy McConkey to the Botanic House Lounge. ‘Barbara was there, and Noreen Buckley and Patricia Sheehan’, Roy recalls. ‘Barbara asked me if I knew anyone that might be interested in a research post. While I didn’t really know anyone suitable, I said I would certainly think about it. I came away with a very strong notion that it might be interesting to work with St. Michael’s House.’ Coming up through the ranks of the clinic at the time was a dynamic mix of indi- viduals, many chosen by Barbara, who would assume key roles in the years ahead. David Kenefick recalls: ‘One of the big changes was that the central aim of the Clinic shifted away from purely the assessment of the level of disability and its implications. It started to veer towards identifying ways that we could work with people – ways to support them, approaches and techniques. Much more time started going into working with families, working with frontline staff and applying new approaches and techniques.’ Pat Moloney’s focus was on growing the services by way of funding and increasing levels of efficiency and concurrently the Clinic was advancing innovative approaches from within their own units or new ways of thinking from abroad. ‘It was a dynamic and progressive place to work despite the lack of resources and high areas of need’, re- calls Patricia Doherty, who gained valuable experience while a social science student in 1976. ‘Barbara personally recruited a strong team of committed and experienced clini- cians, many with international experience and actively encouraged a culture of shared learning, innovation and continuous service improvement and development. Central to this collective leadership culture was the shared value around the rights of people with learning disability which was the guiding compass.’ Left Patricia Doherty joined St. Michael’s House as a student Social worker in 1977 and many years later became CEO. 71

Above & Page Opposite But now the single most pressing challenge facing parents and those in charge at St. Michael’s House was residential places. The children from Northbrook and Jamestown St. Michael’s House schools had grown into adults. After school there was the hope of a day place in one of special 21st anniversary the workshops. Beyond that, however, there was little evidence of any evolving residen- annual report. tial provision. Report from Dr. Barbara Where at first parents were grateful for a place in St. Michael’s House and an outline Stokes, Medical Director and plan for their child, they then began to demand services to secure their adult children’s Declan Costello, President futures. Awareness was growing that people with a learning disability had rights: the of St. Michael’s House. same as anybody else. The relevant state departments of Health and Education were responsible for meeting these needs; however voluntary agencies such as St. Michael’s House bore the brunt of parental frustration. Pat Moloney made regular visits to the department offices, trying to secure funds. This was a massive task, considering the number of services and properties that St. Michael’s House had to maintain, not to mention the pressing need for expansion. 72

In February 1976, the Goatstown Headquarters site was grossly overcrowded. To create more space, the sheltered workshop and its seventy trainees moved five miles west to Templeogue House. This old building, which was located across the road from Cheeverstown, was bought for £76,000. The trainees quickly adapted to their new surroundings and the centre was running well. Local residents were pleased to see the old house getting a new lease of life. The sheltered workshop space in Goatstown was then taken over by the Pottery which also formed part of the Long Term Training Centres. This was run on a commercial basis producing a distinctive range of pottery which sold on the open market with con- siderable success. The completed product through the various stages of production was the work of young people with intellectual disabilities. Given the right product, training and adequate supervision a person with an intellectual disability had a worthwhile contribution to make to the working life of the community. The employee numbers grew steadily and outside contracts increased. This enterprise was displaying real promise and the pottery ran successfully until the late 1990s. 73

Below Cheeverstown was evolving successfully under a new co-operative agreement. Irish Press reports Fire Barbara’s Adult Special Care Unit was linked to the future development plans, and their damage in Drimnagh Unit. first catering unit opened there in October. 74 On the Northside, the centre at Belcamp House faced an uncertain future. An architect’s report advised that the rooms being used by their Adult Special Care Unit needed extra structural support and that the Sheltered Workshop should move out. In March, a fire in the special care unit in Crumlin caused extensive damage. The blaze was brought under control by the fire brigade, with help from local neighbours who, according to one newspaper report, formed a human bucket-chain to stop the fire spreading. It was clear from the start that it was no accident. The story in The Irish Independent reported that a special wheelchair had been set alight and then thrown against a prefabricated wall which itself caught fire. ‘A gang of vandals crept into the building by tearing a break- proof window from its sockets. Children’s clothes, chairs and books were also set alight.’ It was a setback, but Betty Rooney, Sally Keogh and the organisation resolved to raise the £1,400 needed for repairs. In April, the vandals returned. This time the building was gutted. According to a re- port in the Irish Press the following day, damage was in the region of £40,000. Within days of the fire the Holy Ghost Fathers offered St. Michael’s House a few rooms in Kimmage Manor. A temporary service began there less than two weeks later in May. That October the Department of Health funded the purchase of a substantial house on a fine site in Kilmacud. A further £20,000 was also provided for renovations. According to Sally Keogh, writing in an organisation newsletter, ‘It’s most beneficial aspect for the children and adults were the large grounds that surround it.’ Despite huge and har- rowing obstacles, together Betty and Sally continued to run the special care unit with a mixture of purpose and humour. Later that year a house in Artane became available when Colman Patton’s parents died. Colman, who was twenty-three and had a mild learning disability, had gone to live with his brother and his family. They offered St. Michael’s House the use of the parental home for residential accommodation on the understanding that the first and full-time occupant would be Colman. The agency agreed and bought the house in October 1976. Senior social worker Pat O’Loughlin reported that the house ‘should accommodate five disabled men … working in open employment or a sheltered workshop, who would be capable of living with only a supervisor and a woman who would come daily and cook an evening meal’. This was St. Michael’s House’s first semi-independent residential service. In Raheny, a new head was appointed to the special care unit. Mary Smallwood had been a psychiatric nurse at Stewarts Hospital: ‘Joe O’Grady came looking for me. I was quite happy at the time where I was, but he asked me to just come to the interview.’ Pat Moloney confirmed Mary’s appointment. She had worked with children who had both physical and learning disabilities in Stewarts, but the SCU in Raheny proved

a daunting task: ‘The Left children were out in Coleman Patton whose the corridors and there parents offered SMH their were all these beds – family home for residential forty-eight of them. accommodation for 5 They were very severely residents including Coleman. disabled children, some Many years later Coleman of them blind, some with would lead the first Advocacy multiple handicaps.’ research into service users experience of services in Mary received a St. Michael’s House. warm reception from “My work was to find the staff and innovations out what people think that would typify her approach to developing the service were soon evident: about services, their likes, dislikes and about their I decided to have an open-doors policy. I changed the idea of having to make an appoint- lives in general. People ment as I think it’s lovely for parents just to walk in. I never wore a uniform. It wasn’t a with learning disabilities sick hospital. We also decided to make the groups smaller, especially for mealtimes. This have the same hopes and dreams as everyone else”. meant all the children got more attention. Left Shortly after they are settled in new premises United Counties presented a bus which had been given to them from Sir Matt Busby member of the Manchester Variety Club. Pictured here at the Jury’s Hotel are Betty Rooney, Head of Kilmacud, holding John Fields, Sally Keogh driver of minibus holding Catherine Clinton and Dr. Barbara Stokes, Medical Director. Again, it was this flexibility that made St. Michael’s House stand out at a time when, traditionally, changes came from the top down. ‘That kind of attitude was transmitted to the people who ran the service at frontline level’, says Pat Moloney, ‘People who man- aged the children’s developmental services like Emily Oldham and Betty Rooney were working on the principle that they were the professionals delivering the actual service and they made the decisions. The attitude was “If a child doesn’t respond to X, then why not try Y”. The ethos was not to make the child fit the services in St. Michael’s House – the service should adapt to the child.’ The same attitude pervaded the Clinic, as another new recruit, Dr. Noel McDonnell discovered when he joined in 1977. Noel, who had once been advised that disability 75

Above ‘wasn’t an area to get into’ had also come from Stewarts Hospital, where he felt profes- Junior Special Care Units: sionals tended to work in isolation. ‘I found in St. Michael’s House that you respected By 1976 there were three the other clinicians and you gained from what they had to say. In my previous job, when Units specialising in Child Care: Ballymun SCU, there was a case conference you were expected to be there early, and to rise when the Drimnagh SCU and above the consultant entered the room.’ St. Michael’s House had a team approach that Noel warmed children from Raheny SCU. to. He immediately took to Barbara and felt a terrific sense of purpose as part of her crew. He was thrown into assessing both children and adults on the Northside, working as a psychiatrist and a physician, ‘The only thing I wasn’t expected to do was clean the floors. Everything else was on the cards.’ It was into this environment that Roy McConkey – the authoritative researcher on early childhood learning, paid a return visit. Pat Moloney offered him a post as their first Research Officer, late in 1977. ‘He had another offer of work in Scotland and he was going to take it’, Pat recalls. ‘I spoke to him on the phone, having been told by Noreen 76

Buckley that he was absolutely marvellous. I asked him to meet me and we paid his fare. I immediately made him an offer. It was clear that this was the man for us.’ From the start Roy set about getting parents more directly involved, not in running the agency, but in the raising and education of their own children – a ground-breaking initiative in handing back skills to the parents. This would also involve the provision of more staff training. Roy was delighted at the enthusiasm for his proposals, ‘I remember Pat saying that they weren’t interested in the parochial, that when somebody was at the end of their time with St. Michael’s House, they would be known internationally.’ Left Barbara Stokes wins People of the Year Awards 1977. Pat’s main focus at this time was on the growing need for residential care. It was the most urgent priority for St. Michael’s House, and he did everything in his power to im- prove provision in this area. However, the existing dilapidated buildings were causing ongoing problems. In February 1977 Belcamp was finally declared unsafe and the services temporarily re-housed in units on the Southside. Alternative premises were found on the grounds of an old national school on Ballygall Road not far from their centre in Ballymun. The site was designated for development but there was little choice but to move the Belcamp population into a number of small temporary buildings. Renovations began almost im- mediately with the backing of the Department of Health. These conditions were far from ideal; a series of prefabricated units living on bor- rowed time almost from the outset. The situation was distressing for parents and staff, but St. Michael’s House had no other choice but to accept whatever second-hand build- ings they could find. Noel McDonnell says that this was how St. Michael’s House was forced to operate: A need was identified, and a premises located that might well be inappropriate but was affordable. We would open it up and start spending money we didn’t have. Then the Department of Health would want to close it down because there wasn’t the money to run it. But we couldn’t close a base down once it had started. A lot of units started that way – with no money, no budget, just a need. 77

Right Eurhythmic Classes with Peig Tynan, Teacher. When the Belcamp Long Term Training Centre became unsafe some of the trainees were moved to temporary prefabricated buildings on the grounds of an old national school on Ballygall Road. Right Finances were at a critical stage when a young accountant called Paul Ledwidge Ballygall temporary LTTC: joined in 1978. He had been on placement from Deloitte and Touche for six months and he accepted a full-time post, despite advice from a colleague that this was a move to Long term training along the backwater. with recreational and social training provided extended ‘Any accountant worth his salt wouldn’t have joined St. Michael’s House!’ Paul work training for those who laughs. ‘In 1978 there was a turnover of a million pounds. And a bank overdraft of a had completed the course million pounds!? It was financial lunacy.’ Paul believes that the organisation survived at the Short-Term Training only because Pat Moloney extracted letters of comfort from the Minister for the Bank: Centres in Ballymun. a promise that the Government wouldn’t allow St. Michael’s House to sink. Contracts for packing of Paul was given a desk upstairs in Goatstown, alongside colleagues Connie Wilson all kinds, pottery, plastic and Evelyn Fitzsimons, and a bucket. The roof in the Southside headquarters was packaging, collating printed leaking and there was no money to repair it. Paul also acquired a particular interest in materials and mailshots, postal sorting, assembling the weather forecast! light electrical components form the bulk of the work carried out at the centres. The focus of the training and personal support services is to support workers to develop work skills, habits and behaviour suitable to a mainstream working environment. It promotes independent living skills supporting workers in maintaining new friendships and taking an active part in activities and life in the community. 78

Left The sheltered workshops provide employment training and personal support services to approximately 150 men and women across Dublin. The pottery sheltered workshop Goatstown, which forms part of the Long Term Training Centres has 35 workers each trained in a specific area of pottery production run on a commercial basis producing a distinctive range of pottery which sold on the open market. Left Brendan Grace gets some training on Pottery production from one of the Pottery workers. “Its lovely to work here. I make the tea and coffee pots. All the staff are nice, I’ve been working here a long time ever since I left Grosvenor Road School” Mairead Donadson, Pottery worker. “Its great working here at the pottery, I do a lot of different things. In the morning I fill the moulds and I trim off the edges” Gerard Norman, Pottery worker. In response to the financial situation, school fundraising committees involving both staff and parents were set up in Ballymun, Raheny and Grosvenor Road. These commit- tees were given limited control of their own accounts and were expected to implement school policy. This was the first step towards what would later become Unit Management Committees. Although Pat firmly believed that funding should come exclusively from the State, he had to accept that fundraising was necessary. He ensured that fundraising generated not just cash but positive comment in the media. Pat was keen to keep the name of St. Michael’s House in the public eye. ‘Minimising the prejudice towards people with dis- abilities takes generations, but one has to begin to address it.’ The premiere of a documentary on disability, The Special Per Cent, provided positive media coverage in July 1977. Its aim was to help ‘the promotion of greater tolerance of the mentally handicapped’ by giving a rare insight into the lives of people with a 79

Right Paul Ledgwide, Financial Controller at his desk in Goatstown 1978. He later became CEO when Pat O’Mahony retired in 1993. Below learning disability in Ireland. Produced and narrated by RTÉ’s Jim Sherwin, it was the first of a series of films made in association with St. Michael’s House. After the screening, Cope: Newsletter of President Hillery said the film should be seen by everyone. St.Michael’s House for staff and parents; New cover Although the return from particular fundraising events could be disappointing, the design displaying photo of the fundraising division had raised more than £100,000 in the previous year. This very first pupils of Hacketstown credible sum was due to the time and effort of a huge band of parents and friends, under School in Skerries. the directorship of Michael O’Farrell, Head of Voluntary Services. December 1977 saw the launch of a newsletter called Cope, which cost 10p. An in- valuable resource for everybody involved, the magazine contained articles on research developments and offered parental advice, as well as news and events. The February 1978 edition described the organisation’s own Toy Show, which had been held in January to promote the use of specialised toys. Based on the Late Late Toy Show, it was intro- duced by RTE’s Pam Collins. Many different specialised toys were displayed and Violet Gill’s Toy Library was re-launched in Ballymun and Raheny. During the evening Barbara Stokes, recalling her own childhood days, described how, at the age of five, after visiting the Tower of London, she executed all her dolls with a kitchen knife! The adult service users in the workshops were now involved in a wide range of activities, from sorting mail-outs for the Departments of Labour and Agriculture, to assembling headsets for Aer Lingus and making up lucky bags. Founder member Eithne Clarke remembers her daughter Mary making fizz bags in the workshop, ‘A fizz bag is a lollipop in a little bag of sherbet. Mary’s job was to place the lollipop into the fizz bag, but when she was seen licking each lollipop as it went in, that was the end of that job!’ That summer, workshop employees were given a cleaning contract with Croke Park, which provided their first experi- ence of working outside of the centre. By 1977 it had become necessary to clearly define the roles of the different workshops. The training workshop, which provided new skills for school leavers, was now called the Short Term Training Centre (STTC) and intended to channel the youth of St. Michael’s House into the workforce. Aged between sixteen and twenty, the trainees did a 80

two-year course with classes in sewing, woodwork and general maintenance. Home economics and metalwork were introduced in the early 1980s. Here again the staff went the extra mile for the trainees and introduced a social club. Hilary Walsh, originally an occupational therapist, explains: On Wednesdays we stayed back with the trainees. We encouraged them to get involved in the evening activities to give them a bit of a break from home. That went on for years; it developed into the Arch Club, which is now part of a group of clubs that operate around the city. The Sheltered Workshop, which offered workplaces to those who could not gain open employment, was re-launched as the Long Term Training Centre or LTTC. Templeogue Inner Left Weaving workshop also part of the Long Term Training Centres Templeogue. Eleven trainees were trained to weave, making mohair scarfs, cushions, table mats fashion garments. and floor rugs. They displayed their products the Spring Show in the RDS 1979 sharing a stand with the Pottery from Goatstown. LTTC introduced hand weaving. ‘Work started in a rather hesitant way with one loom Outer Left and one trainee,’ wrote weaving instructor Alison Kay in a piece for Cope, ‘but we soon Training Workshop in realised that we had more trainees capable of weaving than we had looms.’ Charles Street packing earphones for Aer Lingus. For some time, the development of open employment opportunities had received insufficient attention. In November 1982 Northbrook Industries was launched. It pro- Left vided an innovative bridge between training and mainstream employment for men and The Official opening of the women currently attending the LTTC. The workers received a basic wage for contract Special Care Unit at St. Anne’s work including packaging, direct mail and light engineering, and were prepared for Kilmacud by Brendan Cornish, Tanaiste, and Minister for open employment. Health 20th May 1977. From left to right Sister The new Special Care Unit in Kilmacud was officially opened in May 1977 by Betty Rooney, Dr Barbara Brendan Corish, then Tánaiste and Minister for Health. It was here that Roy McConkey Stokes, Brendan Cornish, and his research unit would set up their base with the aim of bridging the gap between Tanaiste, Minister for Health and Social Welfare amd research and practice. They would Maybelline Fitzsimons, Board develop, evaluate and implement Member and Mrs B Cornish. new approaches and methods in the education, training and care of chil- dren with intellectual disabilities. There would be tangible outcomes, toys, video training, articles and books. Teachers, clinicians, nurses frontline workers and families would all be an integral part of the research. 81

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Page Left Roy McConkey’s research team assembled a set of toys which were specifically designed to facilitate children’s early pretend play. Newspaper reports on the development of these constructive toys. Left Putting two words together: Roy McConkey developing his video course for parents and staff on developing language for children with intellectual disabilities. The course consists of six, 25 minute video programmes and focussed on a specific stage in language development, namely the formation of simple two-word sentences and associated widening of the child’s vocabulary. Teaching techniques and learning games were illustrated. The programme was evaluated by 8 Speech and Language students , 11 teachers and 22 mothers and fathers and was distributed to other services nationally. Left Learning to Pretend Training and Project RIPPEL Roy McConkey’s research saw the significance of pretend play as not only a good indicator of a child’s cognitive maturity but a prerequisite for the acquisition of language. Children have to learn to pretend before they can learn language. The research focused on two themes: 1. A simple observational scheme for parents and staff to use to establish a child’s current level of pretend play. 2. A year long longitudinal study of the development of pretending with 10 Down’s syndrome infants between 1 and 2 years of age. This involved video recording them at 6 week intervals at home with their mothers. 83

Below At a meeting in July, Barbara clearly expressed serious concerns about Ballygall, ‘Over the years, these temporary or unsuitable premises are used as an excuse for not Katie McGing, Social Worker developing the therapeutic interaction, which is essential if the work is to be constantly with her Mother a Baby upgraded and not remain at a custodian level.’About this time Noel McDonnell was ap- Groups . “The supportive pointed Assistant Medical Director due to Barbara’s ever-increasing workload which in- nature of the group is an cluded her practice, an active role in National Association for the Mentally Handicapped essential element where in Ireland (NAMHI) (an umbrella group for intellectual disabilities later to become acceptance and learning to Inclusion Ireland), the National Rehabilitation Board, (NRB), and more recently the cope is so important in the early years . Success depends London-based Association of Professions for the Mentally Handicapped. on the professionalism that a variety of disciplines can While the current top priority was residential care, Barbara pursued a review of the inject into the group”. concept of the Special Care Unit. Her aim continued to be the development of the whole child and not just providing care. This holistic approach would gradually enhance the relationships between those providing the service and those receiving it. It was this evolution of thought that led to the special care units becoming known as Developmental Day Centres or DDC’s. ‘The aim was to get away from a caring notion to some sense of development, and people moving on’, says Roy McConkey. Stephen Hennessy, who had recently been appointed as an assistant in Grangemore, experienced first-hand the commitment of the staff to developing the service, and the rigorous routines involved: ‘Originally, we had two House Mothers, Sheila Brown and Myra Donnelly. We had ten very needy people; those who got into Grangemore were urgent as urgent could ever be. I lived in a flat attached to the group home. I would be up at 6.30a.m. and would get to bed at 1.30a.m. Gradually that did change though, and more formalised structures were put in place. There was a huge waiting list, and this was the first initiative to support community living for people.’ 84

One significant feature of St. Michael’s House was the provision of real supports, and Previous page not just written reports. If a problem arose, Stephen knew who to call, from the social bottom right worker to the speech therapist, ‘There was a vibrant sort of opportunity for people to Marjorie Soden, up-skill and learn about how to do the work as best they possibly could.’ The lessons who was part of Stephen learned at this time were invaluable and contributed to his involvement in the Katie McGings growth of St. Michael’s House for the next thirty years. Mother and baby group with her The dynamic Clinic was introducing additional services such as the Mother and Baby daughter ....? group about this time. These sessions, held in Goatstown, brought together mothers Marjorie soon referred to St. Michael’s House by the city’s maternity hospitals. It was a first step in ad- joined the Board dressing the fears of parents who had only recently been made aware of their child’s con- of St. Michael’s dition after birth. Social worker Katie McGing described the service in a report at the time: House and served for several years. The earlier the referral of the child to us the better . Often I invite a member of the clinic to give an informal talk or advice like a physiotherapist, psychologist or paediatrician. 85 Afterwards we have a cup of tea together and a chat. Mothers who have been some time in the group support the new mothers of younger babies and pass on tips and advice. Parents comments are interesting … One lady said the group was like a lifeline thrown to a drowning person. Another said the group only brought home to her the futility of providing a service for children who would never be normal. Reminiscing some thirty years later, Katie says: The mothers began to see changes, and to understand that maybe this child isn’t as quick as their brothers and sisters but they are ok. Roy McConkey did the ‘Rippel study (Reseach into Play, Pretending and Early Language) on the children. Officially he was assessing the children and of course parents wanted to see if theirs were making progress. Roy could real- ly show that the more the mother interacted with the child, the better the child progressed. I remember one lady had it terribly difficult from the start. She said to me, ‘We used to be an ordinary family, but now we are a handicapped family.’ She had difficulty naming her child; she didn’t want to name her. She didn’t like coming to these mornings, but gradually she began to come and with the support of other mothers started to love and accept her baby. The Mother and Baby group marked what would later become the Early Intervention Services. This would incorporate Home Teaching, where staff would visit the homes of parents with infants and toddlers with intellectual disability. They would bring along constructive toys, some of which were developed by Roy McConkey and his team, to teach early play and give practical advice, and link with other Clinicians around sup- port for these families. This proved to be an invaluable service particularly for parents whose children had severe and profound disabilities. ***** For Pat Maloney, Residential services still remained a priority. Five years earlier, the organisation had opened its first residential house in Grangemore. In 1978, a second house was opened in Rossmore Crescent, right next to the Templeogue Training Centre for developing life skills in adults with disability. “Rossmore was the posh one”, says Mary McKenna, a former volunteer worker there. “It was purpose built but Grangemore was two houses joined together with a flat out the

back. It had been left by a client’ parents. But everybody wanted to work in Rossmore because it had everything.” Eileen Kavanagh was a civil servant who worked with the Voluntary Services of Ireland. St. Michael’s used VSI members where they could, and Eileen was assigned to Rossmore house. She recalls the absence of training and her knowledge of working with people with intellectual disability: ‘We went in there and we just lived with those with disability’, she recalls, ‘We didn’t have experience or training. We had great fun. We lived it, we had the rows and sorted it out. One of the first things we had to teach the residents was how to dress as adults... and we got them out to dances.’ That same year, a young Bob McCormack got a summer job helping to renovate a house in Rathmines. The job suited the student perfectly. He was planning to get a teaching position later in the year, and this was a little extra money to help him on his way. Lunch breaks often meant a visit from the owner’s family nearby, and occasionally the mother of the house would return from her busy day for a spot of lunch. That’s how Bob first met Barbara Stokes. She was curious about the path this young man was plan- ning for his career. He had no idea he was being interviewed over the odd sandwich, but by summer’s end he’d been offered a job in Artane, a position for which he had no experience or prac- tical qualification. As Bob recalls: ‘So she said to me, we’re looking at someone who might work part-time, someone like a teacher who might, well basically live in, but take a different style to it I suppose and involve everyone in the house. I thought: well, that would really kill your social life! But then in the end I thought I would do it for a year. One of the reasons was, well, you run away from it. I thought it would be interesting to actually know something about learn- ing disability.’ Right Charles Haughey, T.D., Minister for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Barbara Stokes, Medical Director and Kevin Flanagan, T.D. around the time funding was approved for the building of the Glens in the Ballymun complex. 86

It was the first step in Bob’s long-term commitment to the organisation, and typical of Barbara’s ability to spot potential and seize the moment. So by mid-1978, St. Michael’s House had residential houses on both sides of the city. They were confident of buying and staffing more, but when the time was right and when money was available. In some ways then, plans to build a residential complex ‘The Glens’ on the Ballymun site came as a bit of a surprise. St. Michael’s House had, for many years, needed ‘a crisis residential centre’. Barbara had repeatedly called for respite places for families and individuals in dire need of help, even for a few days, particularly where a parent was ill and couldn’t cope or where a mum or dad had passed away. When Charlie Haughey became Minister for Health, fifty people with severe and profound disabilities were identified as urgently requiring residential services. It was agreed that the major organisations within the Eastern Health Board would each open one unit to address this need. And so, the first sod of the ‘Glens’ was turned in late 1978. However, the initiative’s momentum evaporated when Charles Haughey was moved from the Health portfolio. In time, five house were built to form ‘the Glens’, which addressed the urgent needs of that time, however this rushed approach to community living would not be repeated. While progress was being made towards providing respite for families, other issues emerged in the late 1970s that challenged the relationship between the organisation and the parents. In 1978 a Unit Head was dismissed following accusations of physi- cally assaulting children in his care. In a letter to the Irish Times, Annie Ryan of the Association of the Rights of the Mentally Handicapped expressed her concerns over corporal punishment, particularly in special schools. She described parents as living in dread that their child might be dismissed, and of her worry that parents were losing trust in the association as a result. Management was aware that parents were hurt and at a meeting in the Ballygall Unit, parents voiced strong views and dissatisfaction at the levels of communication from St. Michael’s House. Communication problems were also emerging within the internal structures of the organisation. According to Patricia Doherty, interaction between the Clinic and Pat Moloney’s administration was limited. ‘The Clinic was a collection of highly qualified experts in service delivery … they saw themselves as the service leaders.’ This tension between the Clinic and management, between needs and financing, was not new and was not easily reconciled. But events of the year made them examine more closely their relationships and methods of communication, both with the parents and within their own walls. While the communication systems needed to improve, St. Michael’s House was united in the pride it took in its day-to-day work with the service users. Patricia remembers how in 1976 the Head of Social Work, Pat O’Loughlin, opened her eyes to the potential of a career with St. Michael’s House: I remember as a student on placement going out on a home visit, to a house in Cabra. This young man attended one of the workshops at the time and Pat was his social worker. We went into a kitchen where he had lost his temper and had broken the furniture for the twentieth time. The thing I remember was that Pat sat and talked to him reasonably and respectfully. They had a long conversation and while his speech was hard to decipher, Pat appeared to understand everything he said. 87

Right Pat ignored his disability and talked to him as he would to you or me. I’ve never forgotten it. It was about recognising the dignity of the person not the disability. Pat O’Loughlin, Head of Social Work with Mrs Throughout his career, Pat O’Loughlin stressed the importance of understanding that Halpin and her son Eoghan people with a learning disability develop emotionally in the same way as everyone else: at a function in Phibsboro School. He described the They have the same basic needs for independence, affection, love – needs which are often role of the Social Worker in denied them. Recognising their dignity and worth the social worker tries to afford the St Michael’s House in Cope individual as personal an expression as possible. This is done by counselling, group work, 1978 “to be available to the sex education (in short term training centres) and the citizen advocacy programme. family immediately a child is diagnosed... to visit regularly At the beginning of 1978 St. Michael’s House was offering a service to over 900 people, to discuss, examine, explore, and had a staff of 223. Working as a social worker since 1977, Patricia Doherty had a reassure and support. This daunting caseload of more than 170 people almost from the start. Like Noel McDonnell, initial contact is vital to the she was thrown in at the deep end, but her fellow clinicians provided a level of expertise building of a relationship and a network of support that she could rely on. The Clinic in which she worked was new between the family and the and comfortable, in marked contrast to the other units and Patricia ‘could not understand social worker and ultimately why service users were in buildings that were leaking, or falling down.’ the agency - a relationship that will later benefit the The day to day running of the units was difficult. Resources were scarce and staff child. The social worker worked hard to meet ever-increasing demands. Barbara continuously encouraged examines the complete her staff to see the services from different perspectives and to employ innovative ap- family situation and sets proaches to facilitate the empowerment of the service users. She believed this could in motion every possible ease the strain within the units, but selling her vision to the hard pressed front-line staff mechanism that will give the wasn’t always easy. support they need to cope”. Mary O’Connor, who became Clinic Manager years later in Ballymun, joined St. Michael’s House as one of the first Speech Therapists in 1977. Mary recalls being met with a certain amount of scepticism in the units ‘Speech and Language Therapy was a new profession and certainly very new in intellectual disability. I didn’t realise it at the time, but Barbara protected me from all kinds of forces that were in operation around the place. She let speech therapy grow.’ While Mary wasn’t fully aware of her own role in the evolution of the Clinic, she quickly recognised Roy McConkey’s contribution. ‘Roy brought an injection of energy,’ 88

says Mary, ‘which was at first very focused Above on the younger children and the parent- Mary Davis one of the first involvement side of life, but later spread to P.E, teachers worked in St. the adult services.’ Michaels House until her appointment as Director of Staff constantly advocated for additional the Special Olympics Ireland. services within their units. Bernie O’Dwyer She said it was her former in Cheeverstown pursued Administrative pupils in St. Michael’s House Officer Joe O’Grady to allocate resources for who provided the inspiration a full-time PE teacher. She explained how this for her, “I was never with programme developed balance, mobility, co- people so willing to learn… or so wanting to learn”. ordination and strength, ‘The results can be seen in the overall general appearance and condition of our adults, their greater ability to socialise and communicate during ses- sions and their actual enjoyment.’ Joe eventually gave in, and Julian Davis was given the job. While working in St. Michael’s House, that same Julian fell for a young Sligo woman called Mary Rooney, also a PE teacher there. This couple would play a pivotal role in the organisation of the Special Olympics World Summer Games, twenty-six years later. Sporting activities were becoming important within St. Michael’s House. The schools organised annual sports days and they participated in an inter-schools football league, of which Bernard Greene from Ballymun School was a founding member. Nearby in the Ballymun Short-Term Training Centre, the woodwork instructor P.J. Burke started a Above St Michael’s House children training for the Special Olympics, an international programme of physical fitness, sports training and athletic competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. The Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation, USA created Special Olympics in 1968. The president was Eunice Kennedy Shriver in Washington. 89

Above Various children’s sports days, P.E. and Special Olympics diplays and training. The president of Special Olympics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver visiting Ballymun residential development St. Michael’s House while making a short visit to Ireland. She watched a display of gymnastics under the direction of Mary Davis P.E. Teacher (above) and was highly complimentary of the programme and development in sport and leisure 90 throughout Ireland. Pictured with Michael McGuirk, St. Michael’s House and founder member of Special Olympics Ireland, Mr. Michael Keating T.D. Minister for Sport and Special Olympian.