Proposed rebrand of the Artane Band rejected by abuse survivors

Campaign group Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse have condemned Dublin City Council’s call to rebrand the Artane Band due to its link with historical abuse in industrial schools. The Artane School of Music has similarly refused the proposal.

The council supported a motion to call on the management of the Artane Band, the associated school of music and GAA to change its name, emblem and uniform.

Independent Councillor Mannix Flynn said the use of the name was deeply traumatising and hurtful to some former residents of industrial schools.

Spokesman for SOCA John Kelly labelled the motion as disgraceful,  saying that it stigmatised children currently in the Artane Band.

"It's unconscionable that lovely innocent children would have their names, insignia and uniforms taken away. It's deeply offensive and we will fight tooth and nail to oppose it," he said (RTE).

It’s disappointing to see Mannix calling on the artane band to change its uniform considering the uniform been changed SEVERAL times since the industrial school shut down for the very reason he proposes.

— Shane Folan (@shanefolan) November 8, 2023

The Artane School of Music, which runs the band, said it cannot support the motion.

"The Artane School of Music, home of the Artane Band, is a community based organisation with over 400 members attending weekly for music lessons, band rehearsals, theory classes and Leaving Cert Programme,” said Chairman Dominic Slater in a statement.

"While we fully respect Dublin City Council and the motion passed on Monday's meeting, we cannot agree with this motion.”

In the DCC’s monthly meeting on Monday, Cllr Flynn said that  "It is no excuse in this day and age to say that the children in the present band are well looked after or that the children in the band at present are going to be in anyway hurt by a change of uniform and change of name.

"In a world of political correctness, in a world where symbols of this nature are being frowned upon, one only has to site the symbols of slavery and the decommissioning of public monuments etc to realise that the time has come, and long overdue, that the oppressive symbols of the Artane Band, its uniform and its name, be consigned to history.”