Ireland's Magdalen Laundries and the Nation's Architecture of Containment

The Magdalen laundries served as institutions where Irish women and girls were confined due to societal perceptions of immorality, operating under the Catholic Church's oversight until 1996. A scandal erupted in 1993 when the remains of 155 inmates were exhumed from a convent sold to developers, leading to widespread public outrage. This event has since highlighted the dark legacy of the laundries in Irish culture, particularly after the 2002 film "The Magdalene Sisters" brought further attention to the issue.