Photographs of Mecklenburgh Street Laundry gravesite disrespect

Justice for Magdalenes, the organisation that campaigns for the rights of women incarcerated in Magdalene Laundries, has written to Glasnevin cemetery and the Lord Mayor of Dublin demanding the removal of the storage area that has been erected around the Mecklenburg Street Magdalene grave at Glasnevin Cemetery. The organisation has also written to the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity, who have responsibility for the grave. Claire McGettrick, Justice for Magdalenes PRO, made the discovery while bringing a group of film students making a documentary about the Laundries to the Magdalene graves in the cemetery. She said, "I was horrified when we arrived at the Mecklenburg Street grave, to see that it had been reduced to a storage area [photos follow below]. This grave is of particular importance to us as the women are referred to as 'penitents' and this is one of the many Magdalene graves where none of the women's names are on the gravestone. Now, with the careless erection of this storage area, they are subjected to even further disrespect."

Justice for Magdalenes says it is highly unlikely that a construction firm would erect a similar storage area around the graves of the social and politically prominent. But because these were Magdalene women Irish society again feels empowered to treat them with impunity.

Read the full Justice for Magdalenes press release.

Click on any image to see it full-sized.

Closeup view of Mecklenburgh Laundry grave surrounded by construction supplies and debris.	Closeup view of Mecklenburgh Laundry grave surrounded by construction supplies and debris.
Distance view of construction site surrounding Mecklenburgh laundry grave.	Alternate view of construction site surrounding Mecklenburgh laundry grave.
Alternate view of construction site surrounding Mecklenburgh laundry grave.	Additional closeup view of Mecklenburgh Laundry grave surrounded by construction supplies and debris.