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

Appendix

Appendix Table 1.1. Inmates of Religious-Run Magdalen Asylums in NineteenthCentury Ireland Institution Dates Covered Total Number Total Number of Entrants of Reentrants Good Shepherd, April 1851– 894 266 Belfast December 1899 (29.75%) Good Shepherd, July 1872– 1,749 592 Cork December 1899 (33.84%) Sister of Charity, June 1846– 1,267 Unknown Cork December 1899 Sisters of Our May 1939– 2,633 434 Lady of Charity December 1899 (16.48%) of Refuge, High Park, Drumcondra Sisters of Charity, January 1833– Donnybrook December 1899 1,387 Unknown Good Shepherd, 1848– 2,039 873 Limerick December 1899 (42.82%) Good Shepherd, July 1842– 705 54 Waterford December 1899 (7.66%) 189 Smith 08.Appendix 7/12/07 1:57 PM Page 189 Table 1.1. Continued Institution Dates Covered Total Number Total Number of Entrants of Reentrants Good Shepherd, 1860–1900 321 120 (of 311) New Ross (records for 311) (39%) Sisters of Our February 1887– 511 (10%) Lady of Charity December 1897 of Refuge, Gloucester Street Sisters of Mercy, No information available Galway Sisters of Mercy, No information available Dun Laoghaire Sisters of Mercy, No information available Tralee SUBTOTAL 11, 506 2,339 (Entrants with Records) (11, 496) Note: Tables 1.1–1.3 reproduce Maria Luddy’s research findings; see tables 4.6–4.12 in Women and Philanthropy (1995, 125–29). As Luddy explains, however, the registers on which her findings are based are not complete. The information for the Good Shepherd Magdalen Asylum, New Ross, is reproduced from Frances Finnegan’s research findings, including tables 16 and 17; see Do Penance or Perish (2001, 152–56). Prunty does not offer the same statistical breakdown for Gloucester Street; rather, she offers the following narrative analysis of her findings: While the age on admission ranged from 14 years to 58 years almost half were in the 21–29 years bracket, 25 years being the overall average. Most striking is the enormous turnover of residents, admittance was freely given, and the vast bulk of residents left after short stays varying from a few days to several months. Of 511 admissions between 17 February 1887–26 December 1897, at least half left the house of their own accord, another c. 40 women took temporary refuge in the house en route to or from hospital, and about the same number were “sent away” or “sent out” of the house, with “expelled for disorder” or “disobedience” entered after the names of three women. 30 women were sent to “situations” from the house, of whom 3 left for America and 4 to Australia (“doing well”), a brave new start in a very different world. While the asylum regime may appear unattractive a century later, the fact that at least 10% of those who entered Gloucester Street during the period 1887–1897 entered a second or third time testifies to positive experiences (at least relative to the workhouse alternative) and the genuinely open admissions policy. (1998, 269–70) Also see chap. 1, n. 23. A P P E N D I X 190 Smith 08.Appendix 7/12/07 1:57 PM Page 190 Table 1.2. Sources of Entry to Religious-Run Magdalen Asylums in Nineteenth-Century Ireland Institution* Voluntary Religious Family Police/ Other Unaccounted Referral Prison Good Shepherd, 294 130 37 27 406 Belfast (32.89%) (14.54%) (4.13%) (3.02%) (45.41%) Good Shepherd, 902 569 74 103 93 8 Cork (51.57%) (32.53%) (4.23%) (5.89%) (5.32%) (0.46%) Sisters of Charity, Unknown Cork Sisters of Our 211 22 37 117 2,246 Lady of Charity (8.01%) (0.84%) (1.41 %) (4.44%) (85.3%) of Refuge, High Park, Drumcondra Sisters of Charity, 568 520 16 35 186 62 Donnybrook (40.95%) (37.49%) (1.15%) (2.52%) (13.41%) (4.47%) Good Shepherd, 675 902 29 27 81 325 Limerick (33.10%) (44.24%) (1.42%) (1.32%) (3.97%) (15.94%) Good Shepherd, 350 250 34 11 53 7 Waterford (49.65%) (35.5%) (4.82%) (1.56%) (7.52%) (0.99%) Good Shepherd, 65 179 13 34 New Ross (22%) (62%) (4%) (11%) * See table 1.1 for dates covered. A P P E N D I X 191 Smith 08.Appendix 7/12/07 1:57 PM Page 191 Table 1.3. Reasons for Leaving Religious-Run Magdalen Asylums in Nineteenth-Century Ireland Institution* Magdalen Home/ Other...