Magdalene Oral History collection

Depositors: Katherine O'Donnell (University College Dublin), Sinead Pembroke (University College Dublin) and Claire McGettrick (JFM Research)

The Magdalene Oral History collection consists of interview transcripts and audio recordings from the research project Magdalene Institutions: Recording an Oral and Archival History that was led by Dr Katherine O’Donnell, Director of the Women’s Studies Centre at University College Dublin. The project was a Government of Ireland Collaborative Research Project and was funded by the Irish Research Council. The overall objective was to contribute towards a better understanding of the system of Magdalene Laundries that existed in Ireland in the twentieth century through the gathering and study of testimonies from people who are directly or indirectly related to these institutions. More information on this project can be found on the Magdalene Institutions: Recording an Archival and Oral History project website.

The project collected 80 oral histories from 91 interviewees, including survivors who worked and lived in the Magdalene Laundries, as well as relatives, members of the Religious Orders, regular visitors and anyone else who had a story to tell that relates to these institutions. 

Access this collection on the Digital Repository of Ireland