Outside Our Door: The Hidden History of the Dún Laoghaire Magdalene Laundry

For over 80 years, a Magdalene laundry operated on Crofton Road in Dún Laoghaire—one of ten in the Irish Free Statevand the least documented of them all. No registers survive. No plaque marks the site. Many who grew up metres from its walls never knew it was there.

Outside Our Door, presented by socially engaged artist Laura Sarah Dowdall, retraces its history through the town that surrounded it: the slums and summer villas, the convents and church, the streets where women once queued for washing pickup and delivery. Along the way you'll hear testimony from oral histories, giving voice to a woman who worked inside the laundry—what daily life was like, how she came to be there, how she left. We will share research from the archives, newspapers, letters, photos and architectural drawings: the fragments from which this story has been pieced together.

This tour is the result of six months of research, and collaboration with the Over 50s community group from Loughlinstown. Their memories of the Dun Laoghaire's institutions—its schools, its homes, its streets—sit alongside the archival record throughout.
The walk covers approximately 1.5km at a gentle pace finishing at the seafront.

This tour deals with institutional confinement, unpaid labour, and the separation of families.
Anyone with a personal or family connection to these institutions is welcome. No disclosure is expected: support and information will be available throughout and after the tour.
This project has been supported by the dlr Creative Ireland programme and the DLR Heritage Office.

Accessibility:
The walk route is approximately 1.5km long. The route crosses pavements and paths through central Dun Laoghaire. The terrain is mostly flat, with some mobility ramps and a small number of steps towards the end of the tour. The tour will take approximately 90 minutes. There will be standing stops, as well as opportunities to sit down on the route.
Participants are advised to wear comfortable shoes, and to bring water and a raincoat.

Content Warning:
Please note that Outside our Door will explore the histories of the Magdalene Laundries and the testimonies of those who worked there. Discussions may include references to incareceration, labour, institutional abuse among other topics.

Acknowledgement of Support:
This event was made possible through the support of the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council Grants Scheme. This project has been supported by the dlr Creative Ireland programme and the DLR Heritage Office.