LAUNCH: Unseen by Breda O’Toole, with Dr. Tony Bates
This event has now passed.
Join us for the launch of Unseen by Breda O’Toole, with Dr. Tony Bates on Thursday 4th September at 6:30pm. Refreshments will be served, books will be for sale, and all are welcome!
ABOUT THE BOOK
From a childhood shaped by neglect and violence to three brutal years spent in a cold, indifferent convent, Breda O’Toole’s early life was marked by abandonment. When she sought help, she entered a mental health system that continued the pattern — misdiagnosing her, medicating her into silence, binding her in a straitjacket for 11 days and subjecting her to 29 rounds of electroconvulsive therapy. Across decades, Breda was treated not as a person, but as a problem to be managed — her pain unseen, her voice unheard.
Yet Unseen is also a story of fierce resilience. Refusing to be defined by the failures of the system, Breda fought to reclaim her health, her voice and her life. Through courage, determination and a relentless search for dignity, she uncovered a sense of self that had long been buried.
Dr. Tony Bates will serve as the launcher for the book.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Breda O’Toole is a music teacher, a mother of eight, three of whom died as babies, and a grandmother to twelve. She lives in Connemara, County Galway.
Dr. Tony Bates is a clinical psychologist with more than 30 years’ experience. He writes regular articles for the Irish Times on the issue of mental health and frequently appears on radio and television to discuss mental health, depression and suicide.
