It was an open secret among the boys at St Conleth’s College that their French teacher, Louis Feutren, was a Nazi.
His pupils knew about his savage methods, which some allege included beatings and sadistic methods of control.
A Breton nationalist who supported the Nazi occupation of France, Feutren came to Ireland in 1945 to escape a death sentence at home. He taught at the school from 1957 to 1985 and died in 2009.
Now, as Irish Times journalist Ronan McGreevy has reported, former pupils are seeking an apology from the school.
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Uki Goñi, an Argentinian author and journalist, who arrived in the school as a 14 year-old in the 1970s, is leading the campaign.
From his home in Argentina, he tells In the News about his experience in the school, the physical abuse meted out by Feutren, how the school celebrated Feutren as recently as 2014 and his search for an adequate apology – which has not yet been forthcoming.
And Ronan McGreevy explains how Ireland was a destination for Nazis seeking refuge after World War II.
Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon. This episode was originally published in October 2023.
