On this date, 54 years ago, Mary Julia Breheny died within the infamous High Park Magdalene Laundry in Dublin having spent over 40 years in that Institution. Frank Brehany (See Note 1), has today formally launched a bid to bring his draft Bill, also known as “Mary’s Law”, before members of the Oireachtas in the hope that he can secure support or sponsorship for this important initiative.

Many Irish Americans have heard about the Magdalene Laundries, but few understand the full scope of what these institutions represented. Established through cooperation between the Irish Catholic Church and the emerging Irish State, these laundries were places where women, often labeled as "fallen," were confined and forced into labor.