God even in the early 80s my now darling wife was sent to the other end of the country to give her daughter away x thank god ee have found her in recent years x
See the movie The Magdalene Sisters' (academy award nominee 2004) for moving story about the Magdalene Laundry. Very disturbing movie. The last 'asylum' where young women did forced labor, was closed in 1996, two years before this concert.
Haunting! I first heard this one on a duets album with The Chieftans and now find this great version here. Thanks for putting it up. The Parker guitar and what, chorus? heavy reverb? Whatever, all the instruments are great here as is he singing. Thanks again.
This is about a real thing. Not made up for the song. I saw a movie recently based on this called the Magdalene Sisters. This happened in Ireland until as late as 1996 and it happened in other countries including the United States but the worse was Ireland and what this is talking about. Look it up.
Chip Gibbons Watch an even better film directed by Peter Mullan entitled The Magdalene Sisters which is all about the laundries described in this song of Joni's... It is a superb film with one of the most powerful scenes I can ever remember being filmed.... I'm not dissing Philomena, it's very good but it isn't a patch on the film I've just mentioned... Miss Marple actress Geraldine McEwan who passed away recently, plays the evil nun Sister Bridget who runs the laundry/workhouse.
