The last Magdalen Asylum in Ireland was closed, marking the end of a dark chapter in Irish social history. These institutions, which confined women deemed 'fallen' or 'immoral', were notorious for their harsh treatment and systemic oppression. An estimated 30,000 women were institutionalized in these asylums over decades
The Magdalene Asylum in Cork (Sawmill Street) opened in 1810. The last Magdalene laundry closed on this day on Sean MacDermott Street in Dublin. In Belfast, Northern Ireland, the Church of Ireland-run Ulster Magdalene Asylum and episcopal chapel, was founded in 1839.