A POIGNANT memorial service in memory of women who were incarcerated in the Good Shepherd Magdalene Laundry in New Ross has taken place in the town.
The event was held in St. Stephen’s Cemetery on Sunday, March 2, at 2 p.m.
Organised by Nancy Rochford-Flynn the memorial ceremony was held in conjunction with the Justice for Magdalenes (JFM) advocacy group.
The ‘Flowers for Magdalenes’ ceremony attracted a large crowd to the cemetery – despite the inclement weather that prevailed on the day.
Commenting on the event to The Echo Ms. Rochford-Flynn said the ceremony was aimed at remembering the women as women and not Magdalenes.
“They were women who were daughters, sisters, friends and in some cases mothers themselves,” she said.
“The objective of this event is to commemorate these women’s lives and to connect our very recent past with the present,” said Ms. Rochford-Flynn.
While the event in New Ross was the only event of its type in County Wexford there were other ceremonies held in Dublin, Cork and Galway with all of them leading up to International Women’s Day which takes place on March 8.
The Good Shepherd’s Magdalene Laundry, which is situated in the Irishtown, New Ross, was one of 10 laundries in Ireland and closed its doors in 1967.
The last laundry to close was the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity of Refuge, Sean McDermott Street, Dublin, which remained in operation until 1996.
The capacity of the laundry at New Ross was approximately 50 and its average occupancy remained around that figure until the early 1960s.
“At the time of its closure in 1967 the occupancy had reduced to approximately 20 women,” said Ms. Rochford-Flynn.
Her interest in the Magdalene women led to her completing a thesis relating to how Irish society accepted the Magdalene Laundry system following extensive research stretching back over 18 months.
The ceremony in St. Stephen’s Cemetery was poignant and moving and the celebration included floral tributes in addition to poetry and song.
Ms. Rochford-Flynn expressed her delight at the turn out and expressed her hope to turn the ‘Flowers for Magdalenes’ ceremony into an annual event.
For more information on the Justice for Magdalenes group contact 086-3659516 and the National Advocacy Service can be contacted on 086-8378757
