The Magdalenes And I

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. Brand new episodes every Monday starting March 25th.

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. 

It’s 2006, and Steven has graduated from Bath Spa University UK. Inspired by Peter Mullen’s film The Magdalene Sisters, Steven is fascinated by the story of the Magdalene Laundries. However, one quick Google search by Steven changes everything.

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? 

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.  

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. 

Mary’s mother Angela Collins spent 27 years working for the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity in Peacock Lane, Cork City. Her sister also spent time in the Good Shepherd Magdalene Laundry in Cork. Sadly Mary’s sister took her own life when she was 27. Mary talks to Steven and explains the impact the institutions had on her and her family

Steven flies to the UK with his production team to interview survivors Mary King, Kathleen Legg and Mary Collins. Kathleen Legg is a survivor of the Stanhope Street Laundry in Dublin run by the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity. Kathleen has kept her story secret for 69 years. She is now ready to talk.