'Margaret Died of Her Slave-Related Injuries': a Magdalene Daughter Shares Her Story

The Journal
February 3, 2013

http://www.thejournal.ie/margaret-died-of-her-slave-related-injuries-a-magdalene-daughter-shares-her-story-780887-Feb2013/

Image: Virgin Mary depiction via Shutterstock

“Margaret was committed to industrial school in 1954. She was 2 yrs 4 mths old. She left 49 years later in a coffin.”

HER FIRST TWEET simply said: “My mother was Magdalene No. 322. Real name Margaret.”

It was met by a number of reactions, including disbelief that Magdalenes were given numbers.

“Yes,” replied Samantha Long. “I was looking over her records today and thought I’d share that. Awful.”

The Twitter user was talking about her late mother, Margaret Bullen, a woman taken into the Magdalene Laundries system when she was just two years old.

Just days ahead of the publication of a report into the level of State involvement at the now-infamous institutions, Long decided to share her family’s story.

There had been a campaign to get the hashtag #justiceformagdalenesNOW trending on Twitter to raise awareness last night and the Dublin woman’s provocative, powerful and heartbreaking tweets achieved that aim.

• READ: ‘A life unlived’: Margaret Bullen’s story>

My mother was Magdalene No. 322. Real name Margaret

Margaret was committed to industrial school in 1954. She was 2 yrs 4 mths old. She left 49 years later in a coffin.

By the age of 5, Margaret was preparing breakfast for 70 children including herself from 4am. Child labour

Margaret was noted in her records as “nervous, timid, fretful, a bed-wetter”. No wonder, she was never toilet trained

Margaret didn’t know where she was from or when her birthday was. We told her when she was 42

At age 13, Margaret had her IQ measured. She was “certified” as fit for work, unfit for education. Labour camps.

Margaret never lived in the outside world, although she lived just off O’Connell Street in our capital city

Margaret didn’t know how to handle money. She had none, and no posessions

Margaret never went on a date, Never had a boyfriend. Never fell in love. But she was impregnated in care

Margaret’s twin daughters were taken from her 7 weeks after she gave birth.When she saw us again we were 23

When we reunited at the Gresham, Margaret was 42. Not that you’d think it

At The Gresham in 1995, Margaret was excited. Not just to meet us,but it was the first time she ever tasted coffee

When I became a mother in 2004, it was the first time I allowed myself to grieve for Margaret’s life unlived, denials

Margaret and my family enjoyed each other for a few years, hard to recreate deep love after so long

Margaret died in July 2003, one day before her 51st birthday. She died of her slave related injuries

Six months after her death, her first grandchild was born. She would have loved her four grandchildren

I hope for justice for Margaret and her friends on Tuesday. Thank you all so much for the support. I think she knows

I am astounded at the reaction to my tweets about Margaret.Impossible to reply to all.Thank you,I am humbled

Goodnight all,finally. Míle buíochas #justiceformagdalenesNOW