Reclaiming Magdalenism or Washing Away Sin: Magdalen Laundries and the Rhetorics of Feminine Silence

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Notes

¹ Noteworthy for the purpose of this article is the spelling of Magdalen. While the popular film The Magdalene Sisters, directed by Peter Mullan, uses an alternate spelling, for my purposes I will use the spelling employed by such scholars as James Smith and Frances Finnegan, which omits the “e” at the end. This decision was based on the influence of both scholars’ work and how said work informed my understanding and position argued herein.

² The survivor advocacy group, Justice for Magdalenes (JFM), was a pioneering force in the effort to secure an official state apology and compensation scheme for Magdalene survivors. In light of Kenny’s apology, on behalf of the state, and the development of the Magdalen Fund, the group has announced the end of their campaign and published an exit statement as of May 17, 2013. Further, the various spellings of Magdalene/Magdalen in this footnote are intentional and honor the official use by each individual group.