IRELAND
The Journal
A BASIC CENTRAL heating system for a terraced house, an extra €20 per week to her pension, a few extra bob for Christmas or enough for a burial on sacred land in the US: this is a partial snapshot of the wishlist of survivors of the Magdalen Laundries.
Rendered infamous through a film and several songs, the institutions were used throughout the 20th century as places to house women, often known as “problem girls”, affected by pregnancy outside marriage, poverty and crime.
Next week, the level of State involvment in the incarceration of thousands of women and girls will be examined, not by cultural forces, but by Government for the first time.
Senator Martin McAleese has sent his hefty report establishing the facts to Justice Minister Alan Shatter, who will publish it in full on Tuesday following a Cabinet meeting.
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