THE NAMES of 253 women who lived and died behind the walls of the Good Shepherd Convent in Limerick echoed across a snowy Mount St Lawrence cemetery last Sunday.
In what was the sixth year of the remembrance ceremony, people gathered to share poems, to lay flowers and to bear witness to the memory of the women buried in a mass grave.
Camilla O’Donoghue, one of the event organisers, quoted the lyrics from Joni Mitchell’s ‘The Magdalene Laundries’.
“Peg O’Connell died today, she was a cheeky girl, a flirt. They just stuffed her in a hole. Surely to God, you’d think at least some bells should ring.
“One day I’m going to die here too and they will plant me in the dirt, like some lame bulb that never blooms come any spring. Not any spring.”
Ms O’Donoghue said this was for “all the Peg O’Connells” buried in Magdalene graves around the country.
“We’re so sorry we didn’t listen, and nobody heard, and may your souls rest in peace.”
She thanked Cllr John Gilligan whom she said “played a huge part” in having the names inscribed on the monument.
As the snowfall intensified, Cllr Gilligan said it was good to see people attend on a cold and wet day because “these people came from a very cold place”.
“We can only hope in our hearts that some place along the line, maybe some little ray of sunshine entered into their lives.
“The idea of having their names inscribed here was very important to me. When you take a look around, all these gravestones are not to mark the fact a person died. They are to mark the fact that a person lived; they had a name. This is now a sacred place.
“They are here, we remember every single one of them, we remember what they went through. They are now part and parcel of us. This is no longer a burial pit, this is a sacred place and we should always remember that.”
After the names of the Limerick Magdalenes were read out, Marian O’Rourke recited one of her poems from her collection about the Magdalene Laundries.
Agnes McNamara Agnes Ward Alice Harrison Alice Keogh Alice McNamara Alice Morrison Alice Slattery Anastasia Corbett Angela Blake Anna B. Cullen Anna Ryan Anne Barry Anne Dawson Anne Dolan Anne Hartney Anne Lynch Anne McInerney Anne Ryan Annie Brinn Annie Daverou Annie Fitzgerald Annie Geraghty Annie McMahon Annie McNamara Annie Mullany Annie Shanaghan Annie Wolfe Bessie Morrisey Betty Fitzgerald Blenda Pollen Bridget Carey Bridget Comerford Bridget Gissane Bridget Grady Bridget Kiely Bridget Madigan Bridget McDonagh Bridget Mooney Bridget Sullivan Bridget Twomey Bridget Whelan Bridgid Merriman Brigid Edwards Brigid McDermot Brigid Nevin Brigid Sheahan Catehrine Linehan Catherine Daly Catherine Grady Catherine Hayes Catherine McCarthy Catherine O’Mara Catherine Riggs Catherine Stubbins Catherine Tierney Catherine Walsh Cecilia Martin Charlotte Cooney Christina Supple Eliza Mulcahy Eliza Shaughnessy Elizabeth Moynihan Elizabeth Roche Elizabeth Williams Ellen Barrington Ellen Browne Ellen Collins Ellen Fay Ellen Hanbury Ellen Hartigan Ellen McInerney Ellen Meade Ellen Naughton Ellen Normoyle Ellen O’Sullivan Ellen Ryan Ellen Walsh Ellie Haymaker Emily Browne Esther Collins Esther Fitzgerald Ethel Ryan Evaline Shanaghan Eveleen Finn Grace Gleeson Hannah Harty Hanora Clanchy Hanora Fitzgerald |
Hanora Moore Helen Vaughan Helena Bradley Helena Cashman Honoria Hanrahan Honoria Hewson Isabel Valentine Isabella Hawe Jane Carroll Jessy Platt Johanna Curtin Johanna Daly Johanna Grady Johanna Greene Johanna Kennedy Johanna Sheahan Johanna Smith Jospehine O’Dea Julia Flannery Julia Kearney Julia Pratt Julie Mulvihill Kate Collins Kate Connell Kate Daniel Kate Daniel Kate Dunphy Kate Fitzgerald Kate Jordan Kate McDonald Kate Preston Kate Reilly Kate Sheehan Kathleen Farrelly Katie Foley Katie McMahon Katie McNicholas Katie Phelan Katie Sheehan Kitty Lenihan Kitty Martin Leonora Fagan Lily Connors Lizzie Scully Lucy Collins Maggie Cusack Maggie Dundon Marcella Hoffimer Margaret Ahern Margaret Brown Margaret Bulgar Margaret Burn Margaret Carmody Margaret Courtney Margaret Coveney Margaret Dempsey Margaret Dowling Margaret Duggan Margaret Dunleavy Margaret Frazer Margaret Hanley Margaret Holly Margaret Massy Margaret Purtell Margaret Reidy Margaret Ryan Margaret Ryan Margaret Slattery Margaret Whelan Maria O’Connor Maria O’Neill Maria Pierce Mary A. Flaherty Mary A. Tansey Mary Anne Godfrey Mary Anne Lynch Mary Armstrong Mary Barry Mary Barry Mary Burke Mary Clayton
|
Mary Cone Mary Considine Mary Creagh Mary Curley Mary Daly Mary Devlin Mary Downes Mary Ellen Barrett Mary Ellis Mary Enright Mary Fennell Mary Fox Mary Furlong Mary Gallagher Mary Garvey Mary Geraghty Mary Hawe Mary Hayes Mary J. Eccles Mary J. Maher Mary Jordan Mary Keane Mary Keating Mary Keating Mary Kennelly Mary Keogh Mary Kidia Mary Lynch Mary Madigan Mary McArdle Mary McDermott Mary McGrath Mary McNamara Mary Morrisey Mary Murphy Mary NcInerney Mary O’Brien Mary O’Callaghan Mary O’Connor Mary O’Dwyer Mary O’Dwyer Mary O’Mara Mary O’Neill Mary Purcell Myles Mary Quinlan Mary Quinn Mary Raleigh Mary Reddin Mary Reddin Mary Robinson Mary Ryan Mary Ryan Mary Scanlon Mary Sheehan Mary Sheehan Mary Smith Mary Stack Mary Storan Mary Synan Mary Teresa Maher Mary Warren Mary Wolfe Mary Woods Masie Fitzgerald Maureen Brolan Midge Scanlon Molly Martin Monica Hannon Nancy Hogan Nora Gallagher Nora Tuttle Patricia Daly Peggy McCormack Polly McNeill Rosanna Maguire Rose A. Sheahan Rose Sloan Rose Sweetland Sarah Brett Sarah Cooney Sarah Cormack Sarah Cotter Statia Healy Winifred Joyce
|