The Vile Place (Damaged by the system) is a about the high school that Niamh was forced to attend back in the 1970's at the age of 11 years old. The school was Roman Catholic but the policies of strength , hope and be kind to one another was none existent. Conlen was bullied and assaulted by other pupils and TEACHERS alike. As a result of her traumatic time there , she developed a crippling mental illness which consisted of O.C.D, ritual behavour, delusions, paranoia, agoraphobia, all melted down into deep depression.