THE EIGHTH Flowers for Magdalenes event will take place tomorrow, Sunday, March 3 in cities and towns around the country where there were Magdalene Laundries.
An event has been organised for Limerick and the Justice for Magdalenes Research (JFMR) is calling on members of the public to visit Magdalene graves and lay a flower to honour the women who lived and died behind convent walls.
Survivors, relatives and people who want to offer solidarity and witness to the suffering of so many women are welcome to come with flowers, readings, poems or songs and to witness the names of each woman who is buried in the mass grave at Mount St. Laurence Cemetery.
IN 2003, on foot of efforts by Independent Limerick City North councillor John Gilligan and others, commemorative slabs with the names of the women buried in the plot were placed on the grave.
Last year’s event was cancelled due to Storm Emma but the organisers say they are hopeful of better weather this time round.
At least 1,663 former Magdalene women are buried in cemeteries in Ireland, many of whom are still in unmarked graves.
In June 2018, Magdalen survivors gathered in Dublin at the Invitation of the city’s Lord Mayor. They were greeted by President Michael D Higgins in Phoenix Park and were guests at a banquet in the Mansion House.
It was the first time that so many had met to share their stories and to be celebrated with respect and great appreciation by members of the public who came out in thousands to honour them. Their stories are now being archived as a very important part of Ireland’s social history.
The Limerick remembrance will take place in the old cemetery in Mt St Laurence Cemetery, at 3pm.
