Irish Magdalen Asylums in the Long Nineteenth Century

This volume will focus particularly on the Magdalene asylums laundries in nineteenth century Ireland, focusing on rare and difficult-to-access published and or archival material. It will include a 3,0005,000-word introduction which will contextualise sources, address the state of the field, discuss language and highlight key themes such as gender, social class and religion. It will focus particularly on private sources, or those held by several religious orders including the Sisters of Mercy, the Sisters of Charity, the Good Shepherd Sisters and Sisters of the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity. While most of the institutions were Catholic, the colume will also contain sources on the Protestant Magdalen Asylums (the last of which closed in 1919). While primary attention will be placed on the Magdalen Asylums, the volume will also contain a section on other connected institutions, such as certain adjoining orphanages and industrial schools.