A Public Sculpture to honour Galway’s Magdalen women was unveiled on International Women’s Day, - Sunday 8th March at 1.00pm on the corner of Forster St and Bóthar Breandán O Eithir Forster Street, Galway City, facing the site of the former Convent of Mercy’s Magdalen laundry, demolished in 1991.
(L-R: Bridie Hogan, Patricia Burke Brogan- Poet and Playwright, Mayor of Galway City - Cllr Padraig Conneely, Mick Wilkins- Artist and Stonemason & Margaret Geraghty at the launch of “Final Journey”, a public sculpture to honour Galway’s Magdalen women.)
The carved limestone sculptural figure of a women lifting a veil from her head entitled “ Final Journey” is by the local artist and stone mason Mick Wilkins and features inscribed poetry by playwright and poet Patricia Burke Brogan, who is internationally known for her award-winning play “Eclipsed” about the Magdalen Women.
The sculpture permanently marks the city and Galway’s memory of the women who endured life in the laundry and the heroic steps they took to overcome their oppression.
Galway City Council was approached by three local women - Margaret Geraghty, Bridie Hogan and Patricia Burke Brogan with the idea of a creating a memorial for Galway’s Magdalen women. The sculpture went on to be commissioned by Galway City Council, kindly supported by the Anglo Irish Bank, as part of “Dealbh” an initiative in Galway Public Art by the Amicable Society of Galway Chamber of Commerce and Galway City Council.
The sculpture was officially launched by the Mayor of Galway City. Cllr Padraig Conneely, with guest speakers Dr. Chris Coughlan and John Coyle from the Amicable Society, and Patricia Burke Brogan. In Patricia’s public address, she reflected upon the signifigence of the sculpture in Galway city
“In the history of every people there are areas of great wounding, times when human beings inflicted great damage……I believe that this wonderful luminous limestone sculpture will heal our city, that the pain held in the earth here in this place of betrayal will be appeased.”
She went on to do a poetry reading of the poem she wrote when the Galway laundry was demolished entitled " Make Visible the Tree", to which she received a standing ovation from the audience.
For further Information:
Megs Morley
Public Arts Officer 091- 536588