St. Mary's Home, Belfast
Type of institution:
Magdalene Laundries
Detail:
The Good Shepherd Sisters came to Belfast in 1867, taking over premises in Belfast city centre from the Sisters of Mercy. They moved to a large site at 511 Ormeau Road, Belfast, in 1869 where, in addition to the convent, a church and St Mary’s Home and laundry facilities were built. Women and girls are recorded as being placed in the laundry for a variety of reasons. Some came from the adjacent Marianville Mother and Baby Institution after giving birth. The overall number of women and girls admitted to St Mary’s between 1933 - 1982 was 1,358.
Dates of operation:
1867 - 1982
Also known as:
St. Mary's Laundry, Belfast
Location(s):
Belfast City Centre, 1867 - 1869. 511 Ormeau Road, Belfast, 1869 - 1982.
Run by:
The Good Shepherd Sisters
Records:
The records for St Mary’s Home / Laundry in Belfast take the form of two ledgers which cover the period 1932 - 1982 and include the names of those sent there in alphabetical order. Some women and girls who entered prior to 1932 appear in the ledgers as readmissions. Although work in the laundry terminated with its closure in 1977 the files record entries to St Mary’s Home / Laundry, Belfast until 1982. The records for St Mary’s Home / laundry, Belfast cover the period 1932 - 1982. The records are controlled by the Good Shepherd Sisters but under a data processing agreement, applications for access to records are processed by Family Care Adoption Services. Personal records relating to St Mary’s Home / Laundry, Belfast, can be accessed by submitting a Subject Access Request for information under UK GDPR. A formal Data Processing Agreement and process for access is currently in place between the Good Shepherd Sisters and Family Care Adoption Services. For details of how to make such an application please refer to the guidance on our Accessing Records and Your Rights page. It is recommended that all communication with Family Care Adoption Services should be in writing and copies of correspondence should be kept. The responsible person is Ms Maggie McSorley, CEO. The contact details for Family Care Adoption Services are as follows: Ms Maggie McSorley Family Care Adoption Services Email: email@familycareadoption.orgWhat Records Exist and What Do They Contain?
To What Period Do the Records Relate?
Who Is the Controller of the Records?
How Best Can the Records Be Accessed?
Personal Records
Contacting Family Care Adoption Services
50 Knockbreda Road
Belfast
BT6 0JB