My mother is now 83 and years ago she partly told me about her time at St Patricks, having to scrub floors on her hands and knees right up to the time she gave birth to me.

I’m not sure who my father was, she said he was a baker, a married man. I can’t seem to bring myself to ask her too much about myself, I feel I should just let things lie.

I admit that I have always felt “lonely”, kind of unnatached. My mum married a chap in 1959 he was from a little place in Cheshire, called Neston. I have 2 sisters, half sisters but I love them both to death.
My Stepdad was a wonderful man, of course I didn’t realise this until I had grown up and learned to appreciate that he had treated me as his own child and fed, clothed and protected me all through my childhood and youth.

He passed away when he was 69 years old and my poor old mum still misses him 15 years on, so do I.

My mum has never complained or spoken about St Patricks, she seemed to think of it as pennance for getting pregnant at the time.

I still feel lost, I’m a Grandfather of 55 myself now and wish that I’d been able to pluck up the courage and speak to my mum years ago when she was healthy and able to answer me.

Ah well!! just thought I’d write it down, don’t feel any better though. xx

My thoughts and prayers are with the Magdalene survivors and may God forgive those who harmed the Magdalene’s, because God does know I sure won’t!

This is why our path to justice has been such a hard one. Irish society must own up to its own culpability in the history of the Magdalene Laundries, or we will never be able to move forward. I understand that the authorities — State, Church, Gardai, Courts — must bear the majority brunt. But at the end of the day, we must all be accountable for this injustice.

If Irish citizens do not wish to bear the burden of potential redress, then I urge you to help us in our campaign to fight for justice for survivors and keep pressure firmly on State and Church.

It’s not that far in the past. The last laundry closed in 1994 and ultimately that doesn’t matter. The taxpayer is bailing out the banks, the property developers and giving golden parachutes to corrupt incompetent people. We can apologise to these women and ask them what they need. Maybe it’ll be money, counselling, a gated community, or what ever they need. Maybe we can learn from the horrible treatment of the survivors of institutional abuse.

It was our parents, grandparents, cousins and relatives that purchased the lace and linen made by the slavery of these women. It was our clothes they washed. The clothes of the children who went to boarding school like Batt O Keeffe. So I think we do have a responsibility to ensure that they do not have to struggle at this stage of their lives.

How does one measure an appropriate amount to pay a slave? Nothing we do can make up for what happened.

Should the current tax payer pay compensation for cruelty of the past by people many of whom have since died?

Perhaps the most democratic thing to do would be to invite the people of Ireland to contribute individually, whatever they feel is appropriate and then distribute the pool of money to the victims.

Additionally the wealthy, land-owning catholic institution that were responsible could be force to pay-up and sell their land where necessary.