'Call to Arms': Support "Mary's Law" - bring Justice to the invisible Magdalenes

Once I published 'A Magdalene Rose', I began 'The Journey Home', not just for the book, but to bring an Irish society recognition of those within the book, because for so long, for some 94 years, their names & presence were all invisible. Other aspects of that 'Journey Home' include political engagement. The first has been to be an active voice in the creation of the Irish Government's proposed 'National Centre for Research & Remembrance'.; you can find my growing commentary on the development of this Centre, here.

Author, Frank Brehany, outside Ireland's Oireachtas in Dublin, following a meeting with elected officials

But, for two people in the book, they have been rendered invisible by the State Apologies given for the Magdalene Laundries and the Mother and Baby Homes.

Whilst many are benefitting from the Transitional Justice arrangements following those apologies, there are many who have been excluded from their recognition and benefits. One such excluded group contains those excluded by the said State Apologies and for my family that includes my Father (Francis Brehany) and my Grandmother (Mary Julia Breheny).

On 28 January 2026, 54 years after Mary Breheny had died in one of those Institutions, I launched a draft Bill for Ireland's Oireachtas which I call "Mary's Law". This Bill seeks to realistically provide recognition for those rendered invisible but at the same time delivering reconciliation and paying forward any modest benefits from the past to the present generation of those in difficulty.

It will be a long 'journey home' for this initiative, seeking as I am, the support of TDs (MPs) & Senators.

But what is needed most is your support, your sharing of this initiative, of "Mary's Law", and where you can, impress on the Oireachtas elected representatives the value and justice of my draft Bill, whose time has come. You can find out more about my draft Bill here.