The Fallen: The Magdalene Laundries and Ireland’s Legacy of Silence by Dr Louise Brangan

About the book, The Fallen

Work. Work. Work. Pray. Pray. Pray.

Following Irish independence in 1922, the newly formed state sought to build what was imagined to be the ideal Catholic nation. The cost of that vision was borne by thousands of women and girls who were judged to have fallen outside society’s expectations. The poor, unmarried mothers, survivors of abuse, women with disabilities, and those simply considered “wayward” were institutionalised in a vast network of Mother and Baby Homes, industrial schools, psychiatric institutions and the infamous Magdalene Laundries.

The Magdalene Laundries became the most notorious symbol of this system of social control. Women sent there were stripped of their identities, their hair was cut, their names erased, and they were subjected to years—sometimes decades—of unpaid labour under the guise of spiritual redemption.

Drawing on extensive archival research and powerful survivor testimonies, Louise Brangan tells the stories of six women whose lives were forever shaped by the Laundries. Through compassion, meticulous scholarship and compelling storytelling, The Fallen dismantles long-held myths surrounding these institutions and asks an urgent question that continues to resonate today:

What do we choose to remember?

Although the last Magdalene Laundry closed as recently as 1996, this painful history remains one of the least understood chapters of modern Ireland. The Fallen is an essential and deeply moving account of Ireland’s legacy of silence.

About Dr Louise Brangan

Dr Louise Brangan is an Irish academic whose research focuses on punishment, justice and institutional power. She was named a BBC and AHRC New Generation Thinker in 2023 and received the prestigious Royal Society of Literature Giles St Aubyn Award in 2024. Louise lives and works in Scotland and is recognised for making complex historical subjects accessible to a wide audience.

About Dorothy Allen

Dorothy Allen is an award-winning journalist and broadcaster. A former BBC reporter, she has worked on acclaimed television and radio documentaries including Panorama, Brass Tacks and File on Four. She has also written extensively for national newspapers and magazines and previously served as Vice Chair of the Irish Literary Society. Dorothy is a member of the Irish Cultural Centre’s Literature Programming Team.

Praise for The Fallen

“A searing account… enraging… superb if horrifying.” — John Banville, The Guardian

“Remarkable… thrumming with rage and harrowing to read, a monument to the women and their suffering.” — The Sunday Times

“An extraordinary gift… both an education and a page-turner.” — The Sunday Times

“Compelling, measured and deeply felt… indispensable.” — Anne Enright

“A landmark book… powerful, authoritative and passionate.” — Rory Carroll, The Guardian

“A forensic, detailed and haunting history.” — Seán O’Hagan

“Vivid, fluent and deeply compassionate.” — The Irish Times

Book Signing

Following the conversation, Louise Brangan will sign copies of The Fallen.

Books will be available to purchase at the Irish Cultural Centre on the evening. Published by Penguin Random House, The Fallen is also available through major booksellers.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to hear one of Ireland’s leading historians discuss a book that is already being recognised as a landmark work on the history of the Magdalene Laundries, institutional abuse in Ireland, and the importance of remembrance.