Magdalene laundries report to be published...

[keithisco]

"The laundries were Catholic-run workhouses that operated in Ireland from the 1920s to the mid-1990s.

Girls considered "troubled" or what were then called "fallen women" were sent there and did unpaid manual work.

In 2011, the UN Committee Against Torture called on the Irish government to set up an inquiry into the treatment of thousands of women and girls."

Read More, thanks to BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21326221

[Keel M.]

No surprise there.

[freetoroam]

Sorry, but these were the lucky ones, remember the Crusades?

In England they would burn them, so work shops seem a better option.

Edited February 5, 2013 by freetoroam

[keithisco]

Sorry, but these were the lucky ones, remember the Crusades?

In England they would burn them, so work shops seem a better option.

Sorry? The Crusades? I am not following you at all here...

[Ashotep]

Troubled women, women that did what they wanted or were victims, so the Catholic Church beat them down. What really gets me is they did this until 1996.

Maureen's father died leaving a widow and three children.

Her mother re-married and Maureen claims she was abused by her stepfather.

The nuns noticed, called in a priest and convinced her mother that Maureen would be going to a "lovely school".

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She said she never saw her school books again, was forced to work night and day, seven days a week, and was given a new name, Frances.

How deceitful and mean.

[freetoroam]

Just pointing out the catholic church, as well as burning women did have a reputation for killing non believers, so these Irish women got off lightly. I do not remember the catholic church or anyone else apologising for the murders of Pagans.

[HollyDolly]

Not sure what was done in the middle ages for prostitutes or wayward girls. St.John Eudes,a french priest in the 17th century founded the Sisters of Our Lady of charity of Refuge to work with prostitutes, girl junvenile deliquents,and women prisioners to educate them and teach them some sort of trade such as lace making ,weaving etc. so these women and girls would not wind up on the streets or in prision St.Mary Euphrasia in France later on founded an offshoot the Sisters of the Good Shepherd to do the same sort of work. What was going on there in Ireland was a far cry from what these holy founders intended. Don't know if they will be paid any sort of compinsation or not. It's surprising that they still existed in 1996.These two orders still run homes for girls in the US. Where here in America they were as brutal i don't know.

[keithisco]

Not sure what was done in the middle ages for prostitutes or wayward girls. St.John Eudes,a french priest in the 17th century founded the Sisters of Our Lady of charity of Refuge to work with prostitutes, girl junvenile deliquents,and women prisioners to educate them and teach them some sort of trade such as lace making ,weaving etc. so these women and girls would not wind up on the streets or in prision St.Mary Euphrasia in France later on founded an offshoot the Sisters of the Good Shepherd to do the same sort of work. What was going on there in Ireland was a far cry from what these holy founders intended. Don't know if they will be paid any sort of compinsation or not. It's surprising that they still existed in 1996.These two orders still run homes for girls in the US. Where here in America they were as brutal i don't know.

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions". None of this has to do with the Middle Ages, or the Dark Ages, ...1996 is current, and well after the scandal of RC Priests using their Altar Boys for their own pleasure. There are so many incidents of Nuns having babies by visiting Clergy over the centuries that overall, it is the sheer hypocrisy of branding someone as a "Fallen Woman" when they should be applying those some epithets and standards much nearer to home.

[Taun]

This song by the Chieftains and Joni Mitchell was the first I'd ever heard of these laundries...

[Hasina]

Religion doing something wrong in the name of religion?! Color me surprised, with a streak of mauve.

[Mr Right Wing]

Troubled women, women that did what they wanted or were victims, so the Catholic Church beat them down. What really gets me is they did this until 1996.

How deceitful and mean.

Ireland was and still is quite a religious country so you must think about it in the proper context. Basically any woman with loose morals or who behaved like a slapper (sex outside of marriage) got locked up. Their issues arent of being abused but with not having been paid any wages.

If Ireland was a Muslim country it would have been worse as many would have been flogged or hung.

[keithisco]

Ireland was and still is quite a religious country so you must think about it in the proper context. Basically any woman with loose morals or who behaved like a slapper (sex outside of marriage) got locked up. Their issues arent of being abused but with not having been paid any wages.

If Ireland was a Muslim country it would have been worse as many would have been flogged or hung.

Please re-read the link I posted...It is very much about abuse!!

Apparently Nuns and Paedophile Priests cannot have "Loose morals" because it is very, very rare for them to be locked up. The Vatican´slack of response to all the atrocities committed with the blessing of their Infallible Pope, should have the RC Church branded as a dangerous cult and all their (huge) tax breaks removed...IMO

[laver]

Please re-read the link I posted...It is very much about abuse!!

Apparently Nuns and Paedophile Priests cannot have "Loose morals" because it is very, very rare for them to be locked up. The Vatican´slack of response to all the atrocities committed with the blessing of their Infallible Pope, should have the RC Church branded as a dangerous cult and all their (huge) tax breaks removed...IMO

And yet some people still join this 'dangerous cult', prominent people too, amazing and very sad.

[TheLastLazyGun]

This is the second time in quick succession that the Paddy Government has apologised for Ireland's dark past.

In the summer it also apologised for the disgraceful way it treated Irishmen who joined the British Army during the War to fight the Nazis.