A Woman to Blame: The Kerry Babies Case

This case happened in my home town and I new some of these people, Johanna Hayes has JUST RECENTLY been cleared as have nothing to do with Murder of The Cahersiveen Baby, which everybody in Ireland knew, this book is so disturbing to reread and for me to realize the Ireland I grew up in at that time. Thank God so many things have changed for women in Ireland not completely but better!! A great read in the fact that progress has been made and that medieval Ireland is in the past..RIP Kerry Babies...

This story shocked and repelled me. The way this woman was treated by thoughtless and powerful men is disturbing and sadly happens too frequently. This book raises the awareness of how the innocent and marginalised so easily become the victim of male authority. Even when logic and good sense would seem to be a minimum requirement in understanding another human being's plight, this is sadly lacking. Hypocrisy from Church and the justice system is rife. I had to read this book - not because I enjoyed its content but because I need to take a stand in never allowing this incident to reoccur.Deirdre

I had to constantly remind myself that this tragedy took place in 1984, and not the 1950’s. Joanne came within a hair of being imprison and absolve later by DNA.

Still one of my favorite books of all time. I can't even tell how many times I have shared or given a copy of this book to a friend.

I actually have strong mixed feelings about this book. Nell McCafferty had a definite agenda (one I thoroughly support) in writing this book the way she did. Her agenda was about exposing the state of women in Ireland up until the mid-80's and how this bizarre case was an epochal watershed moment -- which indeed it was. However --I am eager to read a book -- an objective book about this entire case. In the mid-80's I happened to be following this bizarre, sad story from afar when it was happening. An Irish friend was getting the Kerry newspapers, and many of us gathered weekly for the latest from Kerry. And there was considerably more going on than Ms. McCafferty writes about in the later 1980's.For instance, there was the crazy tangential case of the couple trying to conceive a baby using a surrogate -- but implementing the old-fashioned way of getting babies...... It was ghastly, the interference and ripping apart of women's private lives while the Garda searched for the mother (not the father!!) of the baby found dead by the sea. Ms. McCafferty could have done a more thorough job detailing the witch-hunt to track down every possible pregnancy in Kerry.... it is frightening that women anywhere could be subjected to such persecution --"Where is the product of your womb??" Irish women of course, whether feminists or not, rallied and aggressively protested the establishment's self-abrogated right to do this.IF there is such a book, following the case itself from start to finish in a direct and objective way, I would love to know of it.Secondly, the book is very poorly and shabbily done. There are typos and mistakes in the text; Nell might be a famous journalist, but she is not a great writer -- or rather, she can probably be a better writer than this book indicates. I do believe that this case, the tribunal that followed and the response of the women of Ireland should be required reading in ANY course on Women's Rights and Women's History. It OUGHT to be far more widely known. Let's get a really good and objective and serious book out there, folks. But still, Nell, THANK YOU!!!

Very interesting read regarding a shocking situation which occurred in Southern Ireland some decades ago.This is a true story, that has never has resolved and the Garda(Irish Police force) have reopened the case!A sad situation for several unfortunate people.

When I ordered this book I expected to get the old version brought out around the time of The Kerry Babies Case. However what I got was a brand new recently printed 'in a hurry in Poland' version. This bears no comparison whatsoever to the original. I feel cheated and definitely am not happy with what I received. It took several weeks to arrive.

Go Raibh Maith Agat Thankyou

Excellent book that needs to be read so we can "educate one's self, on the difficulties women face in Catholic Ireland.

Very well written and sympathetic to the main players. Well worth reading as even after some 29 years it still has a powerful Message for women's rights.