16/08/2026
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19UZE5SPoE/
โ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ฎโ๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ค๐๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ก๐จ๐๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฌ, ๐๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐งโ๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ญ ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐โ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ ๐ฌ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ. ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐, ๐ฌ๐ก๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ก๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ข๐ซ ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ฉ ๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฌ โ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐จ๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐จ๐ฅ, ๐ฏ๐ข๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐จ๐ง๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ง๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐ก๐ฒ, ๐ฌ๐จ๐๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ๐ฑ๐ข๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ฌ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ฎ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐.
Todayโs Irish Daily Mail report by Georgina Heffernan tells the story of Priscilla Grainger and her daughter Ainie, who have turned their experience of years of domestic abuse into a campaign to support other victims โ while warning that domestic violence remains a serious problem despite greater awareness among younger people.
Priscilla describes enduring 16 years of coercive control, financial abuse, threats and physical violence during her marriage. She says the abuse began in ways that did not initially appear dramatic but gradually intensified. Her husband controlled household spending, restricted everyday activities and subjected the family to an atmosphere in which she felt she was constantly โliving in a minefield of bombsโ.
The violence became severe. Priscilla recalls being assaulted during their honeymoon, being attacked while pregnant with Ainie and living with threats involving weapons. She eventually hired a private investigator because she suspected her husband was living a double life. According to the report, the investigator discovered that he was working as a taxi driver despite Priscilla believing he was unemployed.
The turning point came when Priscilla secretly recorded 25 voicemails containing threats to kill her. Ainie, then a teenager, heard her father named in a national newspaper alongside the woman he had been messaging. Priscilla says she broke down, and Ainie told her: โIt felt like a death in the family.โ
Leaving did not immediately bring safety. Priscilla describes financial hardship, dependence on family and difficulties associated with property and legal proceedings. She says the family continued to experience intimidation after separation.
Ainie describes growing up surrounded by coercive control and learning to recognise danger from a very young age. She recalls her father collecting her from school but also locking her outside in the rain as punishment. She says the experience left her hyper-alert to other peopleโs moods and behaviour and that she later underwent therapy.
Mother and daughter have since founded Stop Domestic Violence Ireland. Money from their book Safe is used to provide practical assistance to victims, including emergency vouchers, clothing, SIM cards, Christmas gifts and help with court-related costs. Ainie also visits schools to talk to teenagers about warning signs in relationships, using a simple greenโamberโred system.
One of the most interesting points in the article is their assessment of the younger generation. Ainie says young people increasingly recognise concepts such as โred flagsโ and โcoercive controlโ and are more willing to challenge unhealthy behaviour. However, she and Priscilla believe that progress is being undermined by violent online po*******hy, social media and toxic forms of masculinity.
The article also makes a significant criticism of Irelandโs response to domestic violence. Priscilla argues that victims frequently need practical, immediate support rather than simply more funding announcements, saying:
โVictims donโt need millions, victims need support.โ
She says protective orders can be undermined by delays and overstretched Garda resources and claims that one woman the organisation is supporting has been waiting since late June for an order to be served. Priscilla and Ainie say they have repeatedly sought a meeting with Justice Minister Jim OโCallaghan about gaps they see in the system but have been turned down.
The report ends on a cautiously hopeful note. Priscilla says their family home is now stable and their organisation is helping other victims, while Ainie says her motivation is straightforward: โYou deserve way more than this.โ
