Mary Norris, an Irish woman sent to a Magdalene laundry for a minor infraction, gives insight into the tendency of her countrymen to avoid addressing longstanding issues. According to Norris, she endured an invasive virginity check, was forced into unpaid labour, had minimal social interactions, and lost two precious years of her life to these oppressive laundries. Her account is captured in a new podcast, The Magdalenes and I, which focuses on the experiences of individuals who lived through the harsh conditions of institutions managed by Irish nuns.
A young man named Steven O’Riordan, whilst studying in Bath, England, became interested in these tales through Peter Mullan’s 2002 film – The Magdalene Sisters. Surprised by the stark contrast the movie presented to his perception of a forward-thinking Ireland, O’Riordan embarked on a personal mission to understand better. His research led him to discover that 133 deceased inmates from the laundry had been exhumed, cremated, and buried collectively in Glasnevin Cemetery, their lives unacknowledged by their families or society.
The podcast includes a touching moment when O’Riordan reads off names of the original 133 women. Many of these women remained anonymous, disregarded in death as they had been in life. Their burial dates spanning the past hundred years, revealing the historical length and scale of the laundries and the many women whose lives were severely affected.
O’Riordan’s 2009 documentary, The Forgotten Maggies, serves as a foundation for his new podcast. The podcast utilises a mix of footage and interviews from the documentary and includes reflections on how the project began and how the interview subjects came to be. The format doesn’t quite hit its stride due to its uneven style, but despite the lack of a clear trajectory and its focus alternating between the women featured and the filmmaker, it remains intriguing. This is largely due to the women O’Riordan interviewed, and the gripping tales they shared.
One of these stories is that of Maureen Sutton, who at 12 years old, found herself working in a laundry after her father’s demise. She resided in an industrial school and spent her days in the laundry, making her eligible for State compensation. An astounding recording offers listeners an insight into a discussion between Sutton and O’Riordan and the Good Shepherd nuns, who tried to manipulate her memories and dissuade her claim of staying at St Aidan’s whilst working in the laundry. Nonetheless, both O’Riordan and Sutton stood strong.
The Magdalenes and I provides a poignant exploration of our complicated history, and while it may be lacking in structural narrative, it compensates with the powerful impact and undeniable truth of the shared stories. As Mary King expressed, “Nobody wanted to listen to us,” but O’Riordan did, and we all ought to.