Monto and Magdalenes

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Monto and Magdalenes *

Many young girls grow up with a doll’s house — a space of imagination, storytelling, and domestic familiarity. By drawing on this shared cultural memory, the installation invites audiences to play and establish an emotional connection with the women whose histories it explores.

This doll’s house invites you to engage with both the distinct and the shared aspects of the experiences of Irish women in Monto and in the Magdalene Laundries. Montgomery Street (aka Monto) is claimed as the biggest red-light district in Ireland and across Europe in the 19th Century until the district was closed by the Legion of Mary in 1925. The first Magdalene Laundry opened in 1765, and more appeared in the 20th century until the last one closed in 1998.

You are invited to explore, play and move objects in the doll’s house to reflect how you would envision the rooms.

The website encourages you to learn more about each feature and provides resources for further information.

The main subject

The history of Monto and the Magdalene Laundries, highlighting women’s experience within these institutions. This project encompasses this website and a doll’s house, which are used to present what women lived through in the brothels of Monto and the Mother & Baby Homes, and how religion and society affected them.

Montgomery Street (aka Monto) was claimed to be the biggest red-light district in Ireland and across Europe during the 19th Century. The Legion of Mary closed this district in 1925. The first Magdalene Laundry opened in 1765, and more were established in the 20th century, with the last closing in 1998. Many women were forced into these institutions; some went willingly to escape societal and religious pressure.

Though each room stands alone, they are connected through different aspects that are reflected in the furniture. You are invited to learn through the website, move pieces to make your own connections and interact with the objects to learn more about these institutions.

Overview

The Doll’s House

The concept of the doll’s house is grounded in the intention to acknowledge and affirm that the women of Monto and the Magdalene Laundries were real individuals who lived through these experiences. Many young girls grow up with a doll’s house — a space of imagination, storytelling, and domestic familiarity. By drawing on this shared cultural memory, the installation invites audiences to establish a personal and emotional connection with the women whose histories it explores.

Make your way through the house and play with what's inside.The ground floor is an introduction to Monto and the Laundries. The first floor explores societal perception and religious aspects that influence women’s lives while highlighting some crossover - for example the bobbing of women’s hair, the care from the community and the presence of religion and the Catholic Church. Finally, the attic space asks, ‘How should we remember these women and locations?’ The viewer is invited to write their thoughts or feelings on the outside of the house. 

To Virtual Dollhouse

The Website

The QR code embedded in the house will provide access to futher material and information, allowing visitors to engage more deeply with the women’s stories and lived realities. With each return to the installation, the audience’s understanding of the rooms expands. The domestic space becomes layered with knowledge, memory, and empathy, fostering a growing sense of connection to the women and their histories.

About Me

Ceara Walsh

I am an MA Public History Student at UCL. From my Undergraduate studies in Ireland to my Master’s dissertation project, my research has been centred around history, Ireland, and societal oppression. I had the opportunity to apply to the 1st and 3rd Joint Program in Korean Studies, where I presented on Korean feminism and a comparative study of the Mother and Baby Homes in Ireland and the Brother Home in Korea. The latter topic inspired me to delve more into hidden histories that are often forgotten or erased from public memory.

  • The Doll House (in progress)

  • Wrong Women (book)

  • Wallpaper

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    Alcohol Cupboard