PLEASE NOTE:
Earlier screenings of Testimony were affected by a technical fault that caused a key subtitle to be omitted. Midway through the film, an actor reads a letter written by a nun to a bishop, and the following text should have appeared on screen:
(1) the letter had been found by Professor Jim Smith in the archive of the Galway Diocese
(2) the McAleese Committee was informed about its existence, and
(3) Jim was later instructed by solicitors acting for the Diocese, to destroy all material in his possession on grounds of data protection concerns.
The DCP has now been updated and all screenings include the correct text. A screenshot of the caption appears below.
We apologise for this error and thank participants and audiences for their understanding.
Testimony
Documentary
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TESTIMONY is a profoundly moving documentary that chronicles the fight for justice by survivors of Ireland’s Magdalene Laundries and Mother and Baby Homes. It captures the determination of these women, supported by the advocacy group Justice for Magdalenes (JFM), to hold the Irish government accountable for decades of institutional abuse. From grassroots campaigning to delivering powerful testimony at the United Nations, their journey is a testament to the strength of collective action and the enduring impact of these dark chapters in Irish history.
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The Magdalene Laundries, operated by religious orders with state complicity, imprisoned and dehumanized women under the guise of moral rehabilitation. Survivors endured forced labour, physical and emotional abuse, and the lifelong stigma of being labelled "fallen." The cruelty extended into Mother and Baby Homes, where unwed mothers were coerced into surrendering their children for adoption—many of these separations executed in secrecy and without consent. These homes also subjected residents to horrifying practices, including vaccine trials and human trafficking. Survivors recount harrowing stories of being stripped of their dignity, separated from their children, and carrying the relentless shame society imposed upon them.
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Central to the narrative is JFM’s tireless campaign for justice. Their efforts gain momentum following exhumations at High Park, where mass graves revealed the indignities suffered by Magdalene women even in death. The fight reaches its pinnacle when survivors, with JFM’s support, deliver their testimony to the UN Committee Against Torture. Their accounts of forced labour, incarceration, and abuse compels the UN to demand comprehensive investigations and reparations. Yet, even as the international spotlight intensifies, the Irish government’s responses are marred by dismissiveness and exclusion from redress. These denials underscore the persistent failure to fully confront the atrocities.
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Amidst this struggle, TESTIMONY finds hope and resilience. The "Dublin Honours Magdalenes" event provides survivors with long-overdue recognition, offering a moment of healing as they share their stories and reclaim their narratives.
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Through unflinching honesty, TESTIMONY raises urgent questions about justice and accountability. It demands access to records, transparency, and the right for survivors to pursue legal action against church and state institutions. Ultimately, the film is a tribute to their resilience, a rallying cry for justice, and a stark reminder of the cost of silence. Above all, TESTIMONY is a call to action, urging society to reckon with its complicity and ensure such abuses are never repeated.
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Writer: Aoife Kelleher & Rachel Lysaght
Director: Aoife Kelleher
DOP: Eleanor Bowman & Michael Lavelle
Sound: Colm O'Meara
Editor: Emer Reynolds
Year: 2025​
RIGHT OF REPLY TEXT FEATURED ON-SCREEN AT THE END OF THE FILM
On 28 October 2024, legislation making it a criminal offence to destroy privately-held records relating to institutions implicated in historical abuse was signed into law by the Irish President.​
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The Irish government has approved a National Centre for Research and Remembrance, to be located on the site of the former Magdalene Laundry at Seán McDermott Street, Dublin.​
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Former Senator McAleese has never spoken publicly on the Report of the Inter-Departmental Committee. The following is a summary from his introduction to the Report; “The Committee has produced a substantive and detailed Report, identifying hitherto unknown facts of State involvement with the Magdalen Laundries...” Finding: “significant State involvement with the Magdalen Laundries.”
“Its findings may also encourage a review of some perceptions about these institutions and the women who were admitted to and worked in them.”​
“The Committee hopes that the facts established…. and set out in this Report, will contribute to a more complete, accurate and rounded understanding of these issues.”
"Most important of all, the Committee hopes that this report will be a real step in bringing healing and peace of mind to all concerned.…..most especially the women whose lived experience of the Magdalen Laundries had a profound and enduring negative effect on their lives.”​
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​Judge Yvonne Murphy, Chair of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes and Certain Related Matters, has never spoken publicly on the Commission’s report.The following is from the Chair’s letter to the Joint Committee on Children, Disability, Equality, Integration and Youth in June 2021: “It is... not true to suggest that the Commission found there was no abuse in the institutions. Many of the chapters (including the Confidential Committee Report) contain graphic accounts of the abuses that women and children underwent, in county homes, mother and baby homes, and as boarded-out children. They also document the callous disregard shown towards the appalling levels of infant mortality.It found that women in county homes were abused, that there was emotional abuse of women in particular when they were giving birth. Most importantly, it found that they should not have been in the institutions but should have been at home with their families.”
“The former members of the Commission stand over its Report which speaks for itself and must be read in its entirety.”​
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​We invited the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to take part in this documentary.It did not respond.​
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​​A GSK GlaxoSmithKline spokesperson said: “We would like to re-emphasise our sympathies to those affected by issues related to Ireland’s Mother and Baby homes.These were legitimate clinical trials aimed to improve childhood vaccines and were conducted by independent researchers, whose responsibility it was to ensure that practices for obtaining consent were followed. There is no evidence that adverse injuries occurred.The final report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes did not call into question the responsibilities or duties of GSK’s legacy companies, the Wellcome Foundation Limited or Glaxo Limited, in developing, manufacturing and supplying vaccines.However, GSK wanted to find a meaningful way to support trial participants and established an enhanced information service in 2021. By November 2024, 222 individuals sought information; 6 were confirmed as trial participants and provided with relevant details, including Mari Tatlow Steed."​
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​​The Daughters of Charity stated that they have contributed to the Residential Institutions Redress Scheme relating to childhood abuse while in institutional care, and have engaged with the Institutions Payment Scheme.
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​The Irish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children states that it transferred all pre-1979 documentation to the Adoption Authority of Ireland and is not in a position to review or make comment on any individual case.The ISPCC deems that "The Magdalene Laundries were punitive institutions and extremely traumatic for the women and girls who suffered under the psychological and physical maltreatment in these institutions."
"It is a dark stain on our history in Ireland."​
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​The Sisters of Mercy stated that “We fully acknowledge and are saddened by the limitations of the care which could be provided in these [Magdalene] homes.Their institutional setting was far removed from the response considered appropriate to such needs today.We wish that we could have done more and that it could have been different. It is regrettable that the Magdalene homes had to exist at all.”
"We have stated previously that we would not contribute financially to a State scheme.”
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​​On the occasion of the publication of the final report of the Mother and Baby Homes and Certain Related Matters Commission of Investigation, the Sisters of Bon Secours stated; "We offer our profound apologies to all the women and children of St Mary’s Mother and Baby Home, to their families and to the people of this country."
The Congregation has always said that it will make a contribution to the redress scheme. A formal offer has been made.
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​The Religious Sisters of Charity stated that “We have fully cooperated with government and state agencies and provided them with all our records… We engaged with the Magdalen Commission (in 2012/2013) and have met all our commitments.”
The congregation will not comment on any individual case.
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​​The Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary stated that the Congregation; “Has over the past decade fully engaged with the Commission of Investigation in addressing this very sad part of Irish history.
The Congregation continues to engage with the State.”
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​The Sisters of the Good Shepherd and the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity cooperated with the Inter-Departmental Committee to establish the facts of State involvement with the Magdalen Laundries.
We invited them to take part in this documentary. They did not respond.​
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