Monday, February 04, 2013

Ornate statues for nuns, mass grave for Magdalenes

The vandalised Magdalene grave at Sunday’s Well contains the names of just 30 women who died between 1882 and 1983.

However, the Justice For Magdalene group has said that the sheer length and width of the grave suggests there may be many more women buried at the site.

Adding to these concerns are the fact that there are large gaps in years on the headstone, from the late 1890s and early 1920s, where no names are recorded. These gaps also appear at the other grave sites for Sunday’s Well Magdalene women in other locations around Cork.

By contrast, the graves of the nuns buried on the site of the Sunday’s Well laundry are kept on the opposite side of the property. Each woman has an individual headstone, while the site also contains three ornate statues.

Although, the surrounding area is somewhat overgrown, it is in markedly better condition than the Magdalene grave.