The Magdalenes and I
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.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Update frequency
- every 3 days
- Average duration
- 11 minutes
- Episodes
- 22
- Years Active
- 2024
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.…
There's More To Come
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The State Apology
Meeting The President
The McAleese Report
Magdalene Survivors Together
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 …
Marina’s Story
Mary Smith And The Charity Single
Grabbing the Headlines
The Forgotten Maggies
The Forgotten Maggies launches at the Galway Film Festival to critical acclaim. Its success draws enormous media attention to the stories of the women and it’s now time for Steven to contemplate his …
A Breakthrough?
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 …
The Bishop’s Interview
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 tu…
Kathleen Legg
Mary Collins
Empty Buildings Full of Memories
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 Steve…
An Orphan in Dublin
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 tal…
Helping Maureen
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, …
Mary and the Movies
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 bec…
Steven: In His Own Words
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 quic…