Republic of Shame explores and documents the ongoing legacy of the religious-run institutions in Ireland. Until alarmingly recently, the Catholic Church, acting in concert with the Irish state, operated a network of institutions for the concealment, punishment and exploitation of ‘fallen women.’ Hogan's book interviews people on all sides of the issue, and writes a moving, often harrowing account of the bravery and struggle of the "penitent" women. This book poses a lot of questions, many of which will probably never be sufficiently answered.
Caelainn Hogan is a journalist in Dublin. Her work has been published in National Geographic, The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, New Statesman, The Washington Post, Al Jazeera English, Harper’s, The Guardian, VICE Magazine, The Dublin Review, and The Irish Times.