County Council makes Magdalene Laundry apology

WHEN Clare County Council held responsibility for health services, it sent young girls and women to the Good Shepherd Magdalene Laundry in Limerick and at this week’s meeting, Mayor of Clare, Pat Daly, issued an apology.

The apology came following a motion from independent Councillor Patricia McCarthy. She said that Clare County Council was one of four councils who had records to prove that they were involved in sending young girls and women to a Magdalene Laundry.

“As a health authority, the Council could and did commit young girls and women to a Magdalene Laundry. The records show that three manager’s orders were signed over a period of three years, 1948, 1949, 1950, committing named girls and women aged 16 and 17,” she said.

Councillor McCarthy said she wanted to acknowledge the excellent work done by the council’s archivist, which meant the council has proof of, and can publicly acknowledge, the injustice done to the teenagers in question.

“It is clear from the report and the records both of the council as a health authority and the Magdalene Laundry that two of these girls were sent from the County Home to the Good Shepherd Magdalene Laundry, with one woman having spent five years there, going on to a Magdalene Convent in Belfast. There is no reference to parents in this case and the manager’S order refers ‘approve the removal of named girl, hired out, from a named person’. One woman spent almost two years in the Laundry before ‘going on to a situation’, ie a job.

“The 16-year-old appears to have been sent to the Magdalene Laundry on the recommendation of a ‘named person’ – again there is no reference to parents. This 16-year-old spent three months in the laundry before going on to a convent which was not a Magdalene Laundry.”

She called for an apology.

“I believe that as a council we should acknowledge the historical role that the council played in committing young girls and women to Magdalene Laundries. Yes, we can say it was a different era, times were harsher, different rules and standards applied but nothing, no excuse can be put forward for how those girls and women were treated, whether it be by their families, society, local authorities, successive governments, the Churches or the Establishment. They have had to live with the stigma of being Magdalene and in the majority of cases for no good reason, were made to feEl less of a person and suffered unimaginable indignities because of the actions of others for whatever reason.”

Councillor McCarthy also called for a permanent reminder to be put in place.

“I believe that we must acknowledge and recognise in a tangible way their suffering. This must be done in an open and public way, not just through an apology but by a public reminder of what happened and must not be allowed to happen ever again.”

Councillor Pat Hayes said it was “shocking that manager’s orders were signed committing people to Magdalene Laundries”.

He asked the Mayor to apologise on behalf of the council and the people of the county.

The Green Party’s Brian Meaney said that it was likely that more than four local authorities had committed people to the laundries.

Councillor Gerry Flynn said that while he agreed with Councillor McCarthy’s sentiments, he said there may be a need to get a legal opinion, lest there be implications regarding compensation.

Responding to some of the comments, Mayor Daly said he felt the discussion would serve as an apology. “What happened at the time was terrible and I think having the debate today is an apology.”

However, Councillors McCarthy, Meaney and Hayes still pressed for a more explicit apology, with Councillor Meaney saying it was “immoral to shirk from these wrongdoings”.

Councillor Flynn clarified his earlier comments, saying that he was in support of the proposal.

The debate concluded with Mayor Daly saying he wanted to publicly apologise for what had been done.