New Podcast The Magdalenes and I reveals circumstances surrounding the exhumation of 155 Magdalene Women

The Magdalenes and I - a new podcast series created by award documentary maker Steven O’ Riordan and distributed by the Acast Creator Network charts the incredible and intimate story of how Steven met with and campaigned for 100s of Magdalene survivors over a period of 10 years.

The podcast released on Monday March 25 also explores the shocking detail surrounding the exhumation of 155 Magdalene women which took place in Dublin in 1993.

In bringing the story of the Magdalene’s to life O’ Riordan uses the powerful interviews he recorded with survivors over the years to illuminate their struggles and delves into the background of how and why he took on their stories.

O’ Riordan says “When I was asked to do this podcast by Acast I wanted it to be a fly on the wall podcast series. It goes behind the scene to look at and talk about why I took on the story of the Magdalene women, the impact their stories had on me and the struggle I had to get their voices heard. I wanted to create a Podcast that was conversational, and easy to listen to.”

Jennifer Dollard, Creator Network Director, Ireland says: “Acast is delighted to work with Steven in bringing this story to a wider audience. The story of the Magdalene women and the personal relationships Steven developed with each of them is unique. The podcast casts a light on a subject matter that reflects a sad time for Irish women in our society. The series will enlighten, educate and inform an entire generation of people how and why women of all ages ended up in these institutions.”

O’ Riordan goes on to say that “So much about what happened to these women still remains a mystery. However, in Episode 2 that is when my jaw dropped to the floor. I was interviewing two relatives whose grandmother died in 1983 and was buried in a mass grave. The circumstances of that exhumation and how the family had to fight to have their loved one reclaimed is shocking. To this day the Religious Order still has a lot of explain to do.”

New episodes of The Magdalenes and I are released weekly (every Monday) starting March 25 with Episodes 1 and 2. They can be listened to on all podcast platforms.