Why is a new generation still marching under the name Artane Band?

Older man with short, gray hair, wearing a light-colored shirt, leaning over and reaching for a musical instrument among several others on the floor.
Gerard Mannix Flynn walking down a city sidewalk carrying two instruments, with buildings and parked vans in the background, on a cloudy day.
Various black musical instruments including trumpets, trombone, and a musical case placed on a carpeted floor against a fabric covered wall.
“Decades of truth have revealed what happened inside Ireland’s institutions.
Children beaten. Exploited. Raped. Forgotten.
The Artane Industrial School was one of the worst.

The boys in the Artane Band were not just musicians, they were survivors/victims.
The music was used to cover up the abuse.

And still, today, we celebrate that name and the uniform?”
— Gerard Mannix Flynn
The artist, wearing a black shirt, cap, and sunglasses stands in front of a shutter with the words 'NOBODY COULD HEAR THE MUSIC' painted on it, holding a trombone.

20/21 South William Street, Dublin 2 - July 2025 - ongoing

Artane Boys Band, Granard

Out of respect for the past - and for today’s children

Change the uniform. Change the name.

Let no child ever be asked to march under that banner again.

  • "To them, we were rubbish children. People could do what they wanted to us. And they did.

    Gerard Mannix Flynn

End The pain

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Change the uniform

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Change the name

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End The pain / Change the uniform / Change the name /