How might historical research into past abuse serve the ends of restorative justice? What kinds of challenges do historians face in gathering testimonies of traumatic experience? Katherine O’Donnell and Claire McGettrick are scholars, activists, and members of Justice for Magdalenes Research, an organization dedicated to unearthing the histories of the women and girls who passed through Ireland’s Magdalene Laundries. Over the past decade they have worked tirelessly to gather survivors’ testimonies, to educate the public about the abuses endured, and to support survivors’ campaigns for redress. They discuss their work in this episode of the History Workshop podcast.

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