Magdalene Laundries

[FrankLJ]

Hello I am looking for reliable information on the old ‘Magdalene Laundries’ of the 20th century Irish Republic. I am specialy interested in:

1. What criteria were used for commitment
2. Under what compulsion was the commitment.
   (i.e. was the police power of the state involved? and if so did it affect adults as well as minors?)
3. Conditions of day-to-day life in the institutions.
4. Length of the average commitment.
   5 Reliablity of the recent film on the subject ‘Magdalene Sisters’(2002)

Any comments,suggestions for further research or sources of information would be welcome.
Sincerely,
FrankLJ

 

[Irish_Melkite]

Frank,

Here’s a few links that may be of use to you

The Magdalenes

Remember the Magdalenes

Justice for Magdalenes

The Sisters of Mercy of the Americas Statement on the Magdalene Laundries

You might also see if you can locate a copy of “Sex in a Cold Climate”, a documentary film on the Laundries that pre-dates “The Magdalene Sisters”.

Many years,

Neil