For centuries, ‘fallen’ or ‘promiscuous’ women in Ireland could be dispatched to institutions known as Magdalene Laundries.
These establishments were backed by the state and managed by the church, compelling women – many of whom were abuse victims – to labour without pay, isolated from society. In 1993, a mass grave with 155 bodies was unearthed in the grounds of one such laundry, casting a stark light on the atrocities that took place within their walls.
The final laundry in Ireland shut its doors in 1996, with ex-Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny labelling them the “nation’s shame”.
Survivors of these institutions shared stories of being made to scrub floors, enduring physical or sexual abuse and giving birth without medication or adequate care, only for their children to be taken from them. Some spent their entire lives in these workhouses.
Singer Sinead O’Connor notably ripped up a photo of the Pope during her 1992 Saturday Night Live appearance, protesting against abuse within the Catholic church. She had previously spent 18 months at a care facility linked to a Magdalene asylum for truancy and shoplifting, reports the Mirror. She alleged that girls there “cried every day” and remembered being assigned tasks like washing priests’ clothing.
The new film, Small Things Like These, featuring Cillian Murphy in his first leading role post-Oppenheimer, delves into the dark history of Ireland’s harrowing institutions. Based on Claire Keegan’s acclaimed novel, it tells the tale of Bill Furlong (played by Murphy), an Irish coal merchant who becomes wary of the unusual activity at his local convent.
The film, pitched by Murphy to Matt Damon on the set of Oppenheimer, is dedicated to the tens of thousands of women sent to the laundries between 1922 and 1998. While they were operating for many years before 1922, the conditions for women only worsened over time.
Critics have lavished praise on the film, with one remarking: “It stays true to the quietly devastating source material. Over a terse 97 minutes and a handful of simple scenes with bare-bones dialogue, the story of Bill Furlong is shown, not told.”
Another enthused: “A poignant story about powerful institutions and their influence. It does a lot with little dialogue, leading to something rich and thought-provoking.”
Small Things Like These is out in UK cinemas now