Cillian Murphy: Magdalene Laundries remains collective trauma for Ireland

According to Cillian Murphy, the scandal surrounding the Magdalene Laundries is a lingering "harsh experience" that the Irish community is still grappling with.

A 47-year-old actor who has been nominated for both Oscars and Baftas is set to appear in a new film called Small Things Like These. The movie is based on a book by Irish author Claire Keegan, and shares the same title. The book was nominated for the prestigious Booker Prize, and the film is about a father who discovers some disturbing information about how a convent in County Wexford is treating mothers and babies.

Murphy, an Irish celebrity recognized for his roles in the thrilling criminal series Peaky Blinders and the grand movie Oppenheimer, appeared at a media briefing for a fresh film during the 74th Berlin International Film Festival on Thursday.

When questioned about his thoughts on how Ireland is still dealing with the guilt of an era where women claim they were kept by the Catholic Church without consent and compelled to abandon their offspring, he responded by stating that he may not be experienced enough to represent the entirety of the nation.

In my opinion, the occurrence was a traumatic experience that affected a group of individuals, especially those belonging to a specific age group. I believe that we are still in the phase of coping and comprehending the situation.

I believe that art can also serve as a helpful remedy for that hurt, and I strongly believe that the book fulfilled that purpose. It was a massive hit in Ireland, as it felt like everyone had a copy and had read it.

I believe that the book's irony lies in the fact that a male follower of Christianity is attempting to carry out a deed aligned with Christian values within a disordered Christian community.

The article posed numerous inquiries regarding involvement, quietness, and disgrace, among other related topics.

"I believe that the purpose of art is not to provide answers to these questions, but rather to stimulate them. It could be more readily understood than an academic or government report."

Murphy, the actor portraying the character of Bill Furlong, a merchant dealing with coal and timber, stumbled upon the hidden truths of his town in the month of December 1985. He has previously expressed his concerns regarding the problems faced by women in Ireland.

Before the 2018 referendum, the actor from Cork supported the repeal of the eighth amendment of the Irish constitution. The referendum was successful and the public voted to legalize abortion.

In 2020, he also acted as the storyteller for a podcast series that focused on the individuals who managed to survive the Tuam Mother and Baby institutes. Furthermore, he is recognized as a supporter of the Unesco Child and Family Research Centre at the University of Galway, that has initiated various projects related to the subject.

During the press conference, Matt Damon - who is a producer and Hollywood actor - shared that it was a straightforward choice for his and Ben Affleck's production firm, Artists Equity, to opt for the Keegan adaptation.

He expressed that he agrees with Cillian's point and added that one of the reasons they were drawn to it were the exceptional artists who were dealing with the aftermath of a difficult experience.

For us, it was a simple task to create a setting that allowed them to work and experiment. Our aim was to remove any hindrances and allow them to explore freely. You know, we just let them be and didn't intervene unnecessarily.

Damon and Murphy acted alongside each other in the movie Oppenheimer back in 2023. The film delves into the life story of J Robert Oppenheimer, who is famously known as the father of the atomic bomb, and highlights his upward climb and eventual downfall.

According to reports, the actors who will appear in the film Small Things Like These are Ciaran Hinds, who was born in Belfast, Emily Watson, who is an actress from England known for her role in Angela's Ashes, Michelle Fairley, a Northern Ireland actress who played a role in the popular TV series Game of Thrones, and Eileen Walsh, a Cork actress who starred in The Magdalene Sisters.

In Ireland, nuns ran laundry facilities throughout the country from the 1700s until the last one, located in Sean McDermott Street in Dublin, shut down in 1996.

Initially designed for women who were deemed to have “fallen”, the laundries were later used to accommodate women who had not been pregnant or didn't have children's homes.

In Ireland, the institutions gained a bad reputation due to the terrible mistreatment that numerous women endured while staying there. During the 90s, a location was uncovered where unmarked graves were found, adding to the severity of the situation. Eventually, the matter led to a formal apology from the government in 2013.

The Magdalene Laundry known as The Good Shepherd in New Ross stopped operating in 1967. A memorial has been established by the Justice for Magdalenes Research organization to commemorate the women who were confined there. The memorial can be found close to the vicinity of the St Stephen's Cemetery located in Irishtown.

Back in 2002, the topic was explored in a movie called The Magdalene Sisters, which won an award for its director Peter Mullan.