The Magdalenes and I

The Magdalenes and I

By Steven O'RiordanTrue Crime
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The Magdalenes and I episodes

  • Small Things Like These - Eileen Walsh Interview (Bonus Episode)

    To mark the release of Cillian Murphy's new film Small Things Like These, Steven sat down with actress Eileen Walsh to discuss her role in the movie and the working relationship she has with Cillian. Eileen's career spans over 30 years, with her breakthrough performance coming in Enda Walsh's play Disco Pigs. 


    This bonus episode explores Eileen's work to date, her long-standing friendship with Cillian and why she felt compelled to take on another role that focused on the Magdalene laundry subject 22 years after she first appeared in The Magdalene Sisters. Small Things Like These is in cinemas nationwide starting Friday, November 1st.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    37 min
  • The State Apology
    On Tuesday, 19 February 2013, the Irish Government offered an unreserved apology to survivors of Ireland's Magdalene Laundries. Steven and the women he worked with led the charge to secure such an outcome. However, will Steven get the Stanhope Street laundry in Dublin and the Summerhill laundry in Wexford included, or will all his work for those women be in vain? This episode goes behind the scenes to reveal what it was like for Steven and the women in the weeks leading up to the state apology. It details Steven's work to have the women's stories amplified and explains how their drive to achieve their ultimate goal was realised.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    33 min
  • Meeting The President
    On 3rd July 2013, Steven and the Magdalene women were invited to Áras an Uachtaráin to meet with the President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins; here, he acknowledged the work Steven and the women had done in securing a state apology. The President asks Steven to say a few words about the journey he and the women went on before he addresses Steven and the women. RTE News correspondent Joe Little caught these intimate moments on camera, and this episode gives the listener a unique insight into the women's reaction and what Steven and the President said on that day.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    6 min
  • The McAleese Report
    On February 5, 2013, Senator Martin McAleese published his findings on State Interaction in Ireland's Magdalene Laundries. As Steven and the women prepare for the report's publication, the political reaction leaves the Magdalene survivors reeling. Steven and the women find themselves front and centre of this storm. Now, they ask themselves, was their campaign for justice all in vain, or will the women and Steven triumph against the odds? This episode includes survivor testimony from Magdalene survivor Josephine Meade, and some listeners may find that interview upsetting.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    23 min
  • Magdalene Survivors Together
    In Steven's pursuit of justice for the women in Ireland's Magdalene Laundries, he sets up the Magdalene Survivors Together group. A support network that brings the women closer and allows them to build friendships with each other. This group becomes the driving force for their political campaign and enables the survivors to prepare for their next meeting with the Minister for Justice. Separately, Steven begins working with Frank Buttimmer, solicitors, in Cork on exploring the possibility of taking a class action against the State if they fail to acknowledge the women's suffering. Their meeting with the Minister changes everything.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    11 min
  • The State Investigates

    As the Irish State agrees to investigate its role in the Magdalene Laundries, Steven prepares to meet the chairperson of that group, Martin McAleese, to outline his evidence of State interaction and submit the stories he gathered of the women to the committee. Steven also presents the committee with a Magdalene Laundry ledger detailing the State's financial contributions to a Magdalene Laundry in Dublin. Steven also submits key evidence of State involvement to other Magdalene laundries operating throughout Ireland.


    Soon, word begins to filter through that the Stanhope Laundry, where Kathleen Legg resided, will not be part of the state investigation, leaving the survivors shocked and bewildered.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    8 min
  • Marina’s Story
    Wednesday 20th July 2011 The Forgotten Maggies airs on TG4 to a record breaking audience. The outpouring of support brings the women’s story to new heights. In the lead up to the broadcast Steven and Marina Gambold appear on RTE’s Radio 1 Today with Pat Kenny Show. This is her story. 

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    11 min
  • Mary Smith And The Charity Single
    As Steven campaigns for a State apology for survivors of Ireland’s Magdalene Laundries, the Irish broadcasting station TG4 agrees to air Steven’s documentary on Irish TV for the first time. Mary Smyth is now ready to tell her story! Soon after Steven begins work on a charity single to help further highlight the stories of the Magdalene women. Sinead O’ Connor, Daniel O’ Donnell, and Moya Breenan are just some of the artists who sign on to record From a Distance written by Grammy award winner Julie Gold.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    10 min
  • Grabbing the Headlines
    The success of the Galway Film Festival draws enormous media attention to Steven and the Magdalene women. Other survivors start to come forward to tell their stories, marking a positive turning point in Steven's campaign to help give these women a voice. Steven soon turns his attention to a political campaign and one letter to the Minister for Justice changes everything.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    8 min

About The Magdalenes and I

From the publisher's feed

On a calm, clear Tuesday night in February 2013, a long line of Irish women in their 60s, 70s and 80s stood side by side on the plinth outside Government buildings in Ireland. These women…