I think the last one closed in the late '60s/early '70s.
You should read Kathy O'Bierne's 'Kathy's Story', which has just been republished as 'Don't Ever Tell'.
Kathy was, from a very early age (about 7, I think) put into the care of the catholic church because she was a 'difficult' child (she had been raped by two boys on the eve of her first communion). She was subsequently abused by a number of staff in homes she stayed in, and gave birth to a child. She's written the book in order to highlight the plight of the girls (and boys) who suffered at the hands of these people.
Needless to say the church have been less than helpful towards her. There is one very disturbing chapter in which she tells how, in her recent investigations, there was a discrepancy in the numbers of bodies buried in a mass grave (I think there were several more than accounted for). I don't think anything ever came of the investigation.
The cruellest thing was the memorial inscription at one of the convents, asking for prayer and blessing for all the poor nuns who had to supervise the girls.