The Magdalenes and I
Steven O'Riordan
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 were survivors of the notorious Magdalene Laundries. On behalf of the State and its people, the leader of their country had apologised for all they had endured.
In the midst of that group of women stood a young man in his 20s named Steven O’Riordan. Steven isn’t the son of a Magdalene survivor. He isn’t a human rights activist. He is the ‘accidental’ campaigner who fought to have these women and their stories recognised.
The Magdalenes and I is the extraordinary story of how one young man met with and campaigned for 100s of Magdalene survivors. It reveals in shocking detail the trauma the women suffered with exclusive never heard before interviews given by survivors and their family members. It pieces together the highs and lows of what it was like for Steven and the women he met to expose the truth, fight for justice and triumph against all the odds.
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Top 10 The Magdalenes and I Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best The Magdalenes and I episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to The Magdalenes and I for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite The Magdalenes and I episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Mary Collins
The Magdalenes and I
04/15/24 • 8 min
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The Bodies
The Magdalenes and I
03/25/24 • 10 min
Dublin, 1993. As day breaks word begins to spread that 155 Magdalene women are to be exhumed from a Dublin Magdalene Laundry run by the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity. The scandal brings shame on the Religious Order but the headlines soon disappear and so do the women’s stories. One Magdalene woman is reclaimed by her family. This is their story.
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The Magdalenes and I: Trailer
The Magdalenes and I
03/20/24 • 2 min
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A Breakthrough?
The Magdalenes and I
04/22/24 • 7 min
As Steven and Gerard set about editing the documentary, The Forgotten Maggies, Steven gets word that submissions are now open for the Galway Film Festival. Steven believes that this is his chance to get the women’s story out to a national audience and submits his documentary in the hope that it will be accepted to the festival. A few weeks later his attention turns back to Maureen’s story. Is this the breakthrough Steven and Maureen have been waiting for?
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The Bishop’s Interview
The Magdalenes and I
04/22/24 • 9 min
As Steven’s documentary gathers pace he is desperate to find a person with a religious background to speak on the subject. After months of emailing the nuns looking for their participation he soon turns his attention to the bishops. Finally, Bishop Willie Walsh agrees to speak and Steven’s focus is on the women who were exhumed in 1993.
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Helping Maureen
The Magdalenes and I
04/01/24 • 12 min
It’s Friday night and Steven is watching the Late Late Show when a surprise phone call lifts him from his seat. It’s Maureen Sullivan a survivor from the Good Shepherd Magdalene Laundry in New Ross, Co. Wexford. Maureen wants justice for what she suffered and Steven promises to do what he can to help her. Their friendship and Maureen’s story ignites a passion and a determination by Steven to expose the truth by making his first feature-length documentary.
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Mary and the Movies
The Magdalenes and I
04/01/24 • 14 min
It’s the summer of 2007 and Steven meets with Mary Norris, an outspoken Magdalene survivor who opens his eyes to the horror of the asylums. Could someone really end up in a Magdalene Laundry just because they went to the movies without permission?
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An Orphan in Dublin
The Magdalenes and I
04/08/24 • 7 min
After reaching out to the London Irish Centre in the UK Steven speaks with survivor Mary King who was abandoned on the street in Dublin and put into a home in County Westmeath by the courts. Mary talks about the devastation she suffered while in the institutions and the pain of losing and rediscovering her family.
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Empty Buildings Full of Memories
The Magdalenes and I
04/08/24 • 10 min
Impacted by Mary Norris’s story, Steven visits the Good Shepherd Magdalene Laundry in Sunday’s Well Cork. An unexpected accident reveals much deeper wounds about the Laundry's past. As a result Steven writes to the four Religious Orders who ran the Magdalene Laundries throughout Ireland asking if he could meet with any survivors who were left behind.
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Kathleen Legg
The Magdalenes and I
04/15/24 • 8 min
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FAQ
How many episodes does The Magdalenes and I have?
The Magdalenes and I currently has 22 episodes available.
What topics does The Magdalenes and I cover?
The podcast is about Stories, Human Rights, Ireland, True Crime, Society, Abuse, Women, Podcasts, Religion, Politics and Girls.
What is the most popular episode on The Magdalenes and I?
The episode title 'The Bodies' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on The Magdalenes and I?
The average episode length on The Magdalenes and I is 12 minutes.
How often are episodes of The Magdalenes and I released?
Episodes of The Magdalenes and I are typically released every 4 days, 23 hours.
When was the first episode of The Magdalenes and I?
The first episode of The Magdalenes and I was released on Mar 20, 2024.
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