‘Momentous’ Magdalene laundry survivors day
MOTHER’S DAY was the occasion for this year’s Flowers of Magdalene ceremony at St Stephen’s Cemetery in New Ross when 62 women who lost their lives in the Good Shepherd convent were remembered.
The event was put back a week due to the snow, but the date change did not affect the crowd, which was bigger than ever.
Organised by artist nancy Rochford FLynn, the day began in fron tof the olf chapel in the cemerey at the flagpoles. The Irsh flag was raised and poet Michael Fottrell raised the Magdalene flag which features a snowdrop.
Des Callaghan piped a lament as the flags were raised and lead the way to the final resting place of the 62 women.
Assistant Professor in Gender Studies at YDC Mary McAuliffe spoke about parallel worlds in Irish history which comlpetely excluded women in Margdalene laundries. She said the great Irish freedom fighters, including women, who fought for equal rights and opposrtunities for Irish citizens, ignored the women due to hieracrhical class structures.
All of the women are buried in the same part of the cemetry and Ms McAuliffe said this is the nly focal point where they can rememberd in the community to remind peole that a laundry once existed in the towen. She said yt was very imprtant for people to use places like the Magdalene women’s grave at the cemetery as tools to ensure the women continue to have a place in Iirsh history. Sisters Meadbbh and Eimear Flynn from Old Ross laid a flower for each of the 62 women as her name was read creating a line of flowerrs.
Ms Flynn said: ‘ This was a visual representation of unity. When that was done the community was asked to lay flowers and a pot of snowdrops was laid to represent how something beautifui and fragile can survvue the harshest conditions.
A memorial plaque for the Magdalene women, sponsored by Byrne’s Memorials in New Ross featuring a scroll, was erected. Ms Flynn said that the finely crafted marble slab was very generously provided and will be a permanent fixture in the cemetery, lasting throughout the year long after the flowers have died.
The ceremony concluded with the singing of the anthem FRlag of Flowersd written by Mr Fottrell.
Ms Flynn said: ‘It was an absolutely marvellous day. The project is getting better year after year. This is for all the local women who were locked away and forgotten about.
‘At the beginning the project was so small and there was a great sense of apathy about it. But today there is a huge amount of support of flowrrs and money.’
She said the project belongs to the town and is unique nationally.
‘More and more people are gettming involved. The New Ross project is unique as it’s just one grave and not graves scattered across a cemetery. Also we have the snowdrop image and we saw the womens names as flowers are laid.’
Ms Rochford Flynn said she got the idea to highlight the Magdalene women having attended the Mercy school. ‘ The former laundry next droo was never mentioned i all of my years at the school. In 2012 when I was given a project for my coourse I said I would do a bit of digging and doors opened and I got to interrview women who lived in the laundry and how could you not be touched by their stories.’
she said there are Magdalene survivors stil waiting for redrres opayments five years after the taoiseach Enda Kenny;s apology.
‘In a way I am acting as an advocate. It’s easier for me to do so as I am not persoannly involved but it is the history of my town and I have so touched by the stories.’