Magdalene asylums

[Eddie Yu]

Mary Ellen Synon spells it out correctly in todays Daily Irish Mail. Perhaps with the publication of the forthcoming book 'A Life Less Ordinary' (Dr Moira Woods and the introduction of the Child Sexual Abuse Industry into Irish society 1983 -2011) might help quell the hysteria created and maintained by the fourth estaste.

 

[WellNow]

Mary Ellen Synon spells it out correctly in todays Daily Irish Mail. Perhaps with the publication of the forthcoming book 'A Life Less Ordinary' (Dr Moira Woods and the introduction of the Child Sexual Abuse Industry into Irish society 1983 -2011) might help quell the hysteria created and maintained by the fourth estaste.

Thank God those that have been abused have gotten recompense. As far as justice is concerned, the low hanging fruit has been dealt with - most who were eligible have received the offer of a private apology, a public apology, access to services and most importantly, a pay-out. There are still some lingering niggly issues, and those in the abuse industry are grasping at them in desparation - the end of the line for the gravy train is in sight and these people, eager to shovel yet more coal on the boiler, won't know what to do with themselves once the train falls off its tracks.

Then there are those who will moan and whine till the day they die. They'll never be content.

The process has been a long drawn-out affair, but closure is near whether the church ditractors or those who have been abused like it or not.

 

[Eddie Yu]

"The process has been a long drawn-out affair, but closure is near whether the church ditractors or those who have been abused like it or not".

Now that cases of false accusations of incest and child sex abuse actions are and have recently been settled with public apologies being read out in the High Court, the truth will finally emerge. Those professionals, politicians, journalists and special interest groups involved in the child abuse industry are now looking over their shoulders in fear as the gagging orders on the falsely accused are finally lifted.

 

[Andrew49]

 

[WellNow]

Andrew49, a man of many talents. Get a life.

 

[Eddie Yu]

Andrew49 How infantile.

 

[Fr John Murphy]

I'd make the difference between anti-Catholic and anti-Catholic Church. Nevertheless, there was nothing wrong about what I said. The history of the RCC in Ireland is one of abuse, manipulation and selfishness. All done at the expense of the Irish people and nation. The question is why did the Irish population by and large remained so loyal to something so harmful?

Because the Chistian message is one of the most powerful ideas out there. It's at heart a beautiful philosophy. But it's also a perfect breeding ground for oppression, brain-washing, getting people to put up with unfairness and abuse because the philosophy is about discipline, charity, "offering up", faith, faith in superiors and elders etc. Once you get told about heaven, hell, the love of God, the unconditional love of Jesus....and you tell that person often enough that the Learned Church holds the key to eternal happiness...it's a hard thing to break out of.

 

[The Caped Cod]

Because the Chistian message is one of the most powerful ideas out there. It's at heart a beautiful philosophy. But it's also a perfect breeding ground for oppression, brain-washing, getting people to put up with unfairness and abuse because the philosophy is about discipline, charity, "offering up", faith, faith in superiors and elders etc. Once you get told about heaven, hell, the love of God, the unconditional love of Jesus....and you tell that person often enough that the Learned Church holds the key to eternal happiness...it's a hard thing to break out of.

Well said.

 

[WellNow]

But it's also a perfect breeding ground for oppression, brain-washing, getting people to put up with unfairness and abuse because the philosophy is about discipline, charity, "offering up", faith, faith in superiors and elders etc.

Shallow, uninsightful assertions.

 

[The Caped Cod]

Shallow, uninsightful assertions.

Yes, it's also a perfect breeding ground for shallow, uninsightful assertions too.

 

[WellNow]

Yes, it's also a perfect breeding ground for shallow, uninsightful assertions too.

And why might that be? Do you know the first thing about Catholic theology?

 

[The Caped Cod]

And why might that be? Do you know the first thing about Catholic theology?

I was agreeing with your previous statement.

 

[smithsligo]

HSE gave €87m since 2006 to Magdalene nuns

HSE gave €87m since 2006 to Magdalene nuns

The Irish Times - Tuesday, June 21, 2011

PATSY McGARRY, Religious Affairs Correspondent

THE HSE has provided € 87 million in the past five years to three of the four religious congregations that ran the Magdalene laundries between 1922 and 1996, according to Minister for Health Dr James O’Reilly.

He disclosed the figure in response to a question from Sinn Féin’s Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin.

He found it “astonishing” and said it contrasted “sharply with the State’s treatment of the women imprisoned in these institutions, who received no pay for their years of work, are in receipt of no pension and were excluded from the Residential Institutions Redress Scheme”.

If the State could “pay € 20 million per year to the orders who ran the laundries, it can certainly give the women who survived them their due”, he said.
For Full Article:
HSE gave €87m since 2006 to Magdalene nuns - The Irish Times - Tue, Jun 21, 2011

 

[Fr John Murphy]

Shallow, uninsightful assertions.

Quite factual actually, based on the sorry history of abuse and servitude in the short history of our State. Read the reports into child abuse, the Magdalene laundries and talk to people who remember the real and frightening power of the clergy in this country. Wishing it otherwise doesn't change the facts. Ideas as "viruses" is an analysis (a metaphor if you will) which shows religious ideas to be amongst the very best, the most resistant and the most powerful at replication in our species. There are many reasons for this. You might argue that religion is still a "good thing" and I think it can be from time to time. But we need to start recognising the powerful all-conquering force religious faith is if we are to be serious about bringing more harmony and reason to bear on our planet.

 

[marcsignal]

I remember doing contract work in a number of laundries and institutions run by the nuns in the late 80s early 90s. One particular one was in Donnybrook opposite the big Rugby grounds there. Does anyone know if that Donnybrook laundry was part of Magdalenes ??

 

[The Caped Cod]

I remember doing contract work in a number of laundries and institutions run by the nuns in the late 80s early 90s. One particular one was in Donnybrook opposite the big Rugby grounds there. Does anyone know if that Donnybrook laundry was part of Magdalenes ??

I believe so yes

 

[marcsignal]

I believe so yes

I remember going in there every six weeks or so, to carry out routine inspections and treatments for Rats and Mice (I worked for Rentokil at the time)

I was only 22 at the time, and had never been inside anywhere like that before. Initially I thought the people working the linen presses, and doing other general work in the laundry were mental patients, and that the nuns were giving them work.

Ironically my first thought, in my blissful ignorance, was, 'fair play to the auld nuns giving work to the handicapped' What I did not realise at the time, was that the average random 50yr old woman working there, was no doubt a woman who had been sent there when she was younger, because she had fallen pregnant.

On some machines, you would have an older woman working with a younger one. What I didn't kop was that in many cases, it was a mother and daughter.

It was only years later that I realised, the people I thought were 'mental patients', were completely normal people, before they had been institutionalised. It was incarceration by the nuns for 40 or more years that made them the way they were

In short, instead of 'giving work to mental patients', it was the nuns who 'turned them into mental patients' by locking them up and exploiting them for free labour.

I have been in at least 6 of these laundries, and visited them every six weeks for six years between 1989-95. All in the south central, south east of Dublin.

 

[Andrew49]

I remember doing contract work in a number of laundries and institutions run by the nuns in the late 80s early 90s. One particular one was in Donnybrook opposite the big Rugby grounds there. Does anyone know if that Donnybrook laundry was part of Magdalenes ??

• Galway Laundry – Grave located at Bohermore Cemetery and Foster Street Sisters of Mercy Consecrated Magdalenes Grave
Rumours of a mass grave in Tuam near a nuns M&B Institution.
• Dun Laoghaire Laundry
• High Park Laundry – Grave located at Glasnevin Cemetery
• Donnybrook Laundry – Graves are located adjacent to where the laundry building was – separate crosses with (usually) two names per cross.
• Peacock Lane Laundry – Grave located at St. Finbarr’s Cemetery – another grave at an unknown location
• Good Shepherd Limerick - Grave located at Mount St. Laurence Cemetery, Limerick
• Good Shepherd Cork – Grave located to rear of old laundry building
• Good Shepherd Waterford – Grave location unknown
• Good Shepherd New Ross – Grave location unknown

Justice for Magdalenes (JfM) already have clear photos of the names from the Gloucester Street Laundry grave, which is located at Glasnevin Cemetery.

JfM need photographs of the Magdalene graves around the country. More specifically JfM are looking for clear photographs of the names on the graves. This work will really help JfM in proving their case with the government, JfM really appreciate any help you could offer. JfM are also hoping that some of you might know the location of the graves where they don’t have the details.

 

[marcsignal]

Justice for Magdalenes (JfM) already have clear photos of the names from the Gloucester Street Laundry grave, which is located at Glasnevin Cemetery.

JfM need photographs of the Magdalene graves around the country. More specifically JfM are looking for clear photographs of the names on the graves. This work will really help JfM in proving their case with the government, JfM really appreciate any help you could offer. JfM are also hoping that some of you might know the location of the graves where they don’t have the details.

I have been around every inch of the Donnybrook one, also the Daughters of Charity in Blackrock, Sisters of Mercy in Blackrock, Sisters of Charity etc etc.

If you want to PM me a contact number i will be happy to talk to anyone about this, I know all of these premises in great detail. I remember it like it was last week. I do not have enough posts up to PM anyone myself. I used to be able to do so but there must have been admin changes here on p.ie.

I've just been looking at the Donnybrook laundry on google maps, there was an infirmary for retired nuns that looks like it had since been demolished. It was located at the back. I will get a screenshot and post.

I entered through gate at Brookvale Rd, (opposite rugby ground on RHS) and drove through the archway visible from the gate, parking up on the opposite side.

1 - Infirmary for retired nuns (now demolished)
2 - Laundry (with chimney visible behind)
3 - Kitchen (I normally met a nun here who brought me around kitchen and laundry)