The "Maggies" in 1950s Dublin The Irish government has changed its tune about offering an apology to victims of the Magdalene Laundries. These institutions, operated by Catholic nuns, incarcerated up to 10,000 women from 1922 to 1996. Since the last laundry was shuttered, survivors and advocates have been demanding an official apology from the state, as well as compensation for wages, pensions, and healthcare.  For the last decade or ... Read More

A new report out of Ireland last week has shed some light on the grim history of the Magdalene Laundries, the all-female workhouses that imprisoned over 10,000 women and girls throughout the 20th century. Though the Irish government has insisted for years that its involvement with the institutions was minimal, new information suggests otherwise. According to the report, a quarter of the women sent to the laundries were referred by the ... Read More