The other day I was thinking about the Magdalene Laundries, this was a place where Irish women were deemed guilty of having Illegitimate children. Magdalene Laundries were also known as Asylums, a house for women who had fallen from moral correctness. Women were sent there also because they were too pretty, or too ugly,too clever or too silly! these women were supposedly vunerable to suduction,and men were vunerable to temptation by them. This research made me think about my project pope joan, although she foxed the church by taking on the guise of a man to rise to the status of a pope, ledgends say that she gave birth to a son and then dragged through the streets and stoned to death . As mentioned before the catholic church errased her identity and is not recognised in the catholic church .
With the women in Magdelene Laundries their Identities were Imediatley taken from them and given different names, sadly their children taken from them too.
They suffered a harsh daily regime, work would start at 5am and consisted of handwashing drying and Ironing clothes from orpanages churches and prisons.
The scrubbing was Intended to wash away their sins, however how much the women washed, they were considered dirty and sinful through out their lives.
The Magdalene victims suffered oppresive work conditions, they sometimes had their head shaved or were made to fast. Once a week there were “mortifications” women were stripped and their vanity was ridiculed.
