The Magdalene Laundry at Donnybrook, Dublin 4 was initially established at Townsend Street in 1796 by a Mr Quarterman and a Mrs Bridget Burke. The institution was taken over by the Religious Sisters of Charity in 1833 and it relocated to Donnybrook in 1837. The laundry was sold to a private company in 1992. This company continued to operate the laundry as a commercial entity until 2006 and two of the women who remained incarcerated in the institution continued to work there. The McAleese Report provides no information on whether the women were paid for their work after the laundry was sold. (Source: McAleese Report)
To date, JFMR has recorded the names of 314 women and girls who died at the Donnybrook Magdalene Laundry. There are 312 names inscribed on the headstones at the Donnybrook site, while we are aware of at least 2 women who died at the laundry but who were buried in family plots.
In 2016, an application was made to Dublin City Council for planning permission to develop the Donnybrook site. The Archaeological Report associated with that application highlighted the social and historical significance of the site, and stated that the possibility of there being unmarked graves could not be ruled out. JFMR also made a submission to Dublin City Council regarding the development. In April 2017 the developer withdrew the planning application.