Hundreds gathered yesterday to remember the women who suffered in the Magdalene Laundries, many of whom were buried in mass graves.

The event marked the sixth annual Flowers for Magdalenes.

Mary Merritt (85) was in the laundries for 14 years.

"Every one of those women should have had a separate grave with their name on it," she said. "They cut my hair, they took my name, they took my clothes, but I wouldn't let them take my spirit."

The Justice for Magdalenes Research group found that there are at least 1,663 women from the laundries buried in cemeteries - many of whom are in unmarked graves.

Sinn Féin deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald spoke at the event calling for a Garda investigation into the discovery of mass graves at the Mother and Baby home in Tuam.