Mary Norris facts for kids
Mary Norris (born Cronin, 1932 – 2017) was an Irish woman. When she was young, she was sent to a place called a Magdalene asylum. Here, her name was changed, and she was kept there, forced to work, until her aunt helped her leave. Mary Norris spent two years working very hard at the Good Shepherd Convent, which was a Magdalene asylum. Later in her life, Mary shared her story about the unfair treatment she experienced at the asylum and also at St Joseph's Orphanage in Killarney.
Early Life and Institutions
Mary Norris was born in 1932 in Sneem, a town in South Kerry, Ireland. She was the oldest of eight children.
When Mary was twelve, her father passed away. After this, she and her brothers and sisters were separated from their mother. They were sent to different places run by Roman Catholic groups. Mary was first sent to St Joseph's Orphanage in Killarney.
At age sixteen, Mary was sent to work as a maid. But she was sent back to the orphanage because she went to a cinema without permission. After this, in 1949, she was sent to a Magdalene laundry in Cork, Ireland. This laundry was run by the Good Shepherd Order.
Life at the Laundry
Mary Norris spent two years at the laundry. She said that the way she was treated there was like slavery. The girls and women were made to work for ten hours every day, except Sundays.
At the laundry, Mary's name was changed to Myra. The nuns told her that she did not deserve to share her name with the Virgin Mary. She was also told that her family had left her, which was not true. Instead of a name, she was given a number, 30, to identify her.
Freedom and Later Life
After two years, Mary's aunt in America found her. Her aunt helped her leave the Magdalene laundry. Mary was then reunited with her mother, brothers, and sisters.
Later, Mary moved to London with her mother. After her mother died in 1989, Mary returned to Ireland.
Mary had a daughter named Mary Patricia Cronin, who was born in London and adopted as a baby. Mary and her daughter, who later became known as Susan Ann Davis, met again in 1984. Susan was living in Scotland at the time. Sadly, Susan passed away on July 15, 2016.
Mary Norris shared her experiences in an interview with the Irish Independent newspaper in January 1999. Mary Norris passed away on May 31, 2017.
