The Woman in the Wall (2023) s01e05 Episode Script
Ex Gratia
1
Agnes, my daughter, she's dead.
29O children who died
at the convent
I could only find graves for three.
AMY: we're the only mammies left
- and we've been through hell together.
- Back off!
[CLUNK, QUIET GROAN]
COLMAN: My mam told me that
Father Percy put her in touch with
the House of the Sacred Shepherd
and I was adopted through them.
February, 1989.
What if they didn't shut down?
What if they just went underground?
LOLA: You went to Lazarus House?
What happened to me in there?
I don't want you coming back
to work for a while.
According to this, you're dead.
But you're alive?
Yeah.
So, this is fake, right?
But it's got Government stamps
and everything.
It's just like Agnes'.
Maybe she's alive, too?
Exactly.
So, you were born in a
Mother and Baby Home?
I don't
I don't talk about it much.
It's OK.
It's OK.
So, why are you showing
this to me now?
I took some files.
Evidence from Father Percy's house.
So, between that and these, maybe
maybe we could find out
what happened to your daughter.
Thank you.
How much of this is there?
Father Percy kept everything.
Letters, birthday cards,
Christmas cards from the families he
helped.
Right.
Jesus Christ!
What? What is it?
"Dear Father Percy, Merry Christmas
and a Happy New Year,"
"best wishes, Frank, Joyce and"
BOTH: Breda.
"Aged eight and four months."
Clemence had a daughter
called Breda.
That's her, in the middle.
Breda was born in '85.
The same month as Agnes.
It has to be her, right?
If it is her, and if Father Percy
was involved in her adoption,
maybe she has a death
certificate, too?
I don't know.
We can check.
Whoa, whoa!
Where did you get all of these?
Don't ask.
[SEA BIRDS CALL]
SKELLY: Oh, hey, Sarge, just
checking in to see how youtre doing?
I know you said you were sick,
but I can hear you clumping around
up there and I thought maybe
[HE SIGHS]
MUSIC: Do You Miss Me by Mimi Allen ♪
[SIZZLING]
Do you miss me ♪
[WIND CHIMES TINKLE]
When I'm not around? ♪
That you're happy for me ♪
- [MUSIC FADES]
- ♪
[HE SIGHS]
[LORNA MURMURS NAMES]
"Connor"
Here it is!
"Breda Tooley."
"Cause of death - asthma."
"2nd of May, 1986."
What the fuck is going on?
Maybe Frank and Joyce can tell us.
"11, Mill Road."
That's it.
Mill Road? I mean,
how many Mill Roads are there?
Oh, loads.
Hey, can you? Look at that.
Something Heart Church?
"Sacred Heart Church."
Fuck, I mean, you can't throw
a stone in this country without
- hitting one of those.
- But how many are near a Mill Road?
That's very good work, Columbo.
One.
Two.
- Here.
- Three.
Four.
Five.
And that one's closest.
- Let's start there.
- OK.
Why do you think
he wanted to see me?
Maybe he wants to propose.
It's bad news. It has to be.
Hey, will you stop?
A sofa like this would be
nice in the living room.
Although you wouldn't want
to get sick on it.
Why would I be getting sick on it?
Not you, eejit, the baby!
Niamh! Anna! Hello.
- James, hi.
- No, no, no.
Please, please, stay where you are.
Er, can I get you anything?
- Tea, coffee?
- No, we're grand, thanks.
- I 'd murder a coffee.
- Ah, right, just a second.
Um
could I have, er,
one coffee over here, please?
Thank you.
What's this?
[SMACKS LIPS]
Well, I, um
I wouldn't go so far as to say
it's a slam-dunk,
as the Yanks might say, but
NIAMH: The State is recognising
the Kilkinure Convent
as a laundry.
Once those letters are signed,
yes, as a Magdalene Laundry.
And all of the women will be
entitled to their compensation.
- [SHE GASPS] You did it.
- Oh, my God
Oh, my God!
[SHE LAUGHS]
Oh, God
Oh, God
We didn't even know my mam was
in the laundry until after she passed.
Like, she never even told my dad.
That's how ashamed she felt.
And now this,
them openly acknowledging it
can you imagine what that
would have done for her?
VOICE BREAKING: I just wish
she was here to see it
She'd be so proud of you.
Well, there, um
There are
other women that we can help,
so the sooner we can get these
letters to them to sign, the better.
Thank you for this, James.
I'll get that coffee.
[SHEEP BLEAT]
[LOUD MUSIC BLARES]
MUSIC: Dearg Doom by Horslips
My love is colder
than black marble by the sea ♪
My heart is older
than the cold oak tree ♪
I am the flash of silver in the sun ♪
When you see me coming
you had better ♪
Run, run, run ♪
From Dearg Doom ♪
From Dearg ♪
COUNTRY MUSIC PLAYS
.. Baby, it's gone ♪
Are you OK?
Yeah.
[HE SWITCHES RADIO OFF]
You sure?
Yeah.
When did you last sleep?
Don't know. What day is it?
[WINDOW WHIRS]
It's Wednesday.
I don't know. Like, a week ago?
How much do you know about your mam?
Like, your your real mam, I mean.
As much as you know about Agnes.
Just her name.
What was her name?
Catherine.
Catherine.
Wait, you know, you had
one of those death certs, too.
Why don't we just ask your parents
if they knew what was going on?
It's complicated.
Right.
- Wait, stop!
- What?
Right, go left! Go left!
What?
SHOUTING: Go left!
The Sacred Heart Church!
This is it.
[SEA BIRDS CALL, SHIP'S HORN BLOWS]
[MUSIC PLAYS ON HEADPHONES]
[CLATTERING]
Sarge?
[MUSIC STOPS]
I thought you were off sick?
What's that?
I'm not sure yet.
Skelly
do you ever get tired
of being useless?
I'm sorry.
No, no, I don't mean that, no.
I mean
I mean, I feel useless.
And I'm sick and tired of it.
[MASSEY SIGHS]
[LINE RINGS]
Drennan.
Er, Detective Drennan,
yeah, Sergeant Massey, Kilkinure.
- Long time no speak, Massey.
- Lookit, I need you to forward me
on all of the latest materials
relevant to the case.
- What?
- Yeah.
- All of them?
- Yeah.
Pathologists' reports,
phone records,
whatever you have,
send everything.
I don't think that's pertinent.
Not pertinent?
Look, you do know
that the victim's car
was burned on state
property, do you?
- Yeah, of course, I do.
- Yeah, well, this is a small town
and now, not only do the locals have
a priest-murderer to worry about,
- there's an arsonist to boot!
- Arson?
Arson, yeah, as in big fire that
nearly burned down our station.
Now, you don't think
that's pertinent, do you?
Well, I think that's very pertinent.
In fact, do you think
your superintendent might think
it was very pertinent, too?
Can you hold?
Oh, no bother at all.
Yeah, I can wait.
[BEEPING]
Stick the kettle on there, will ye?
Well, this is it.
Bresnahan.
Whoa, whoa, Lorna! Hold on.
We don't just
Look, I'll show them my badge,
tell them I'm investigating
irregularities
in the adoption process or
something.
OK? We'll play it from there.
What? Well, what about me?
You
Might be best
if you just say nothing.
- [COLMAN KNOCKS]
- What, I can't say anything
to the people who took
Clemence's daughter?
- [DOOR OPENS] Yeah?
- Hello.
Er, we're looking for the, er,
the Bresnahans?
My parents.
I'm house-sitting
for them at the moment.
- [DOG WHINES]
- Well, dog-sitting, really.
Can I help you with anything?
- You'd be?
- Breda.
- Er, who are you?
- Um
Sorry, I'm Detective Colman Akande.
Do you know
when your parents might be back?
CLEMENCE: This is my baby
Isn't she beautiful?
[BABY GURGLES]
How'd she know my name?
It might be best
if we spoke to your parents first.
[SHE SIGHS]
What's this about?
Your adoption.
Oh, God
[SHE SIGHS]
Are you my my birth mother?
No, no.
No, no, I'm not.
But I know her.
Knew her.
- You knew her?
- She, er
- Oh, my God, she's, um?
- Yeah.
A few days ago.
[EXHALES]
I'm so sorry, um
No, wait, I just wanted
to ask if you could
- [DOOR SLAMS]
- [SIGHS] Shite.
Oh, shite.
[DOOR OPENS]
What is this about, really?
My name's Lorna.
I was in the same
Mother and Baby Home as your mam.
This is you.
Ah, fuck.
COLMAN: How long had you
known you were adopted?
Ages.
My folks told me
when I was really young.
Too young probably.
I was, like, "Mam! Dad!"
They were, like, "Let me stop you
there, sweetheart."
"In the interest of accuracy, we're
not your biological mam and dad."
[SHE CHUCKLES]
It's funny.
It's not funny. Sorry,
I don't know why I said that.
Was she, erm, was she funny?
My, erm, my birth mother?
No.
Oh.
My parents
had tried adopting before,
but the State said that they
were too old,
so someone they knew at Mass said
you should talk to Father So-and-so,
- he'll be able to help you out
- Father Percy Sheehan?
Yeah, I don't know his name.
But he told my folks
that there's this one baby
and she's not doing very well.
Erm, she's nine months but only
weighs as much as a newborn,
because her mother wouldn't
feed her. She just abandoned her.
Yeah.
Things weren't looking
good for Baby Breda.
My parents, they didn't want me
being shipped off to
St Alma's, you know?
St Alma's? What's that?
Erm, I don't know, but it's where
most of the kids went.
- Wait, most of the kids?
- Yeah.
Guess I was lucky, in a way.
Lucky?
Is that what you'd call yourself?
Yeah, my parents did everything
for me.
And they saved my life, getting me
out of there when they did.
No, we're not blaming them.
I mean, Jesus,
they remortgaged this house!
Wait, what?!
Yeah, to save me.
What?
- They paid to adopt you?
- No.
They gave money.
- How much money?
- I don't know, exactly.
Wait, who did they pay?
The people who'd been keeping you?
- No.
- Well, who, then?!
No, no, no, no!
It was a thank you. Jesus!
Youtre making it sound like
Look, you're not going to
make me hate my parents
No, we're not saying that.
I think, er, you two should go.
All right, thank you for your time.
Lorna?
You know what, she didn't
Your mother, Clemence,
she didn't just leave you there
and abandon you.
She would never have done that.
She loved you, right?
She always loved you.
[SHE SOBS, DOOR OPENS]
St Alma's Church,
St Alma's School,
St Alma's Well.
The way she talked about it,
all those kids,
maybe it was an orphanage?
[MOBILE VIBRATES]
Have you found anything?
- Colman!
- What?!
Did you find anything?
Do you have Breda's
death cert with you?
She said she was adopted
when she was nine months old, right?
So, it will be sometime in May?
Er, yeah.
Her death cert says
she died of asthma on May 2nd.
Now, look at what Father Percy
has marked down that same day.
Private donation. Roof, £5,000.
£5,000 is no small chunk of change
now, but 30 years ago
Yeah, she said they
remortgaged their home.
Yes. Look at what pops
up at the end of the month.
Another private donation.
Furnishings, £7,500.
It's another kid.
February 25th.
Private donation.
General repairs, £4,500.
April 2nd. Private donation.
Hymn books, £6,718.36.
- That's a weird number.
- Go to September.
What?
September 18th, 1986.
Private donation.
Upkeep, £10,887.09.
[ECHOING: BABY GURGLES, SHE LAUGHS]
They sold her.
- It's called human trafficking.
- They fuckin' sold her!
- Hey! Hey!
- Sold her!
Hey! Lorna, give me that!
- Give me that!
- They sold her
- This is evidence
- Yeah, it's my life!
Hey, it's my life, too.
For all I know, my parents
could have made
one of these donations, too.
Right.
So, can we please
go and talk to them?
But theytre admitting it, right?
- Everything that happened?
- Yes.
If you sign this,
the Irish State will recognise
that you were placed in
a Magdalene Laundry
and forced to work there
against your will.
And that's what they're calling it?
A Laundry?
Not a training centre
- or an industrial school or?
- No.
- [SHE SIGHS, DEEPLY]
- They're saying it was a Laundry.
Well, thank God for that.
We should be as loud
about this as possible
because there's still people out
there who need to know.
They can take on the Church
and the State and you can win.
Sorry, guys, I'll just be
I'll just be a minute, OK?
Ah, you came!
- We did it!
- We did it!
- You all right?
- Mm-hm.
- [ALL SNIFFLE]
- NIAMH: Guys.
- Shit.
- Everyone
Erm, this is Carmel.
- No fucking way.
- Hello?
Oh, my goodness.
She was a friend of my mother's
at the Laundry.
Well, whatts a fucking nun
doing here?
Carmel wanted to celebrate
with you all.
Carmel still lives at the Convent
and the, er, Sisters look after her.
Yeah, guys,
do we want to maybe take our drinks
and we can all sit up
here beside Anna and
maybe have a catch-up or
Where's Lorna Brady?
She'd be loving this.
So, you work with Colman?
Sort of.
She was in a Mother and Baby Home
when she was a teenager.
Her child was taken from her.
My goodness.
Thanks for the tea.
On the phone, you said
you wanted to talk?
Yeah.
With my adoption, did you go to
Father Percy or did he approach you?
He heard that we were having
trouble having a child
and he offered to help.
Did you pay for me?
Did we pay for you?
- What are you saying?
- Was there money involved?
- Could you give us a moment?
- Er, yeah
No. No, I 'd like her to stay.
You can stay. She deserves to hear
this as much I do.
I don't understand what you're
asking me.
I'm asking you
if money exchanged hands, Mam?
Oh, not like that.
- Not like how you're saying.
- What happened, then?
Father Percy told us that it was
expected that we make a donation.
Did you?
Yes, but
[HE SIGHS]
- What?
- Nothing.
No, tell me. What's wrong?
[HE SCOFFS]
That wasn't a donation, Mam.
That's not what they told us.
That's not what they said.
You don't know what it was
like for people like us back then.
The way your father
and I were treated.
Everyone turned us away.
But the Church the Church
welcomed us.
They wanted to help.
You wouldn't have lasted
another week in that place.
Do you know if she wanted me?
Did you ever ask her?
I did ask once.
But Father Percy said he didn't want
to speak ill of anyone.
Not even someone who had
abandoned their child.
So I didn't ask again
Yeah, but she could be out
there right now.
Catherine, my mother,
looking for her child.
Right now!
Just like Lorna is.
[CHILDREN CHATTER]
[LOW GROWLING]
Run, Colman. Hide!
The Cruelty Man is coming! Run!
[DRAGGING FOOTSTEPS, LOW SNARLING]
Don't make a sound,
or he'll hear you!
[THUD!]
This is all we have from back then.
Everything they gave us.
Who's this?
I think that's one of the men
Father Percy introduced us to.
[MOBILE VIBRATES]
- Hello?
- Lorna.
- Hi, Niamh.
- Finally, you're picking up.
- Are you OK?
- Yeah, I'm fine.
Yeah, well, you weren't
answering earlier.
Yeah, well, I'm kind of
in the middle of something.
OK, well, erm, I've been trying to
get a hold of you because, erm,
- we've had a bit of good news.
- OK?
Yeah, there's going
to be an apology,
compensation, the whole shebang.
Everything we've been
working towards.
Did you hear what I said?
The Convent's going to be officially
recognised as a Laundry.
When did this happen?
I only got the letter this morning!
But, erm
We're down the Clew Bay
at the moment
having a bit of a get-together
to, you know, sign the letters
and have a drink,
if you'd like to join us?
Oh
No, I I'm in Dublin.
- What the hell are you doing in Dublin?
- It's a long story.
Hey, what did you
say about signing letters?
I'll send it to you right now.
I'll email it across.
Erm, do you think you'll
be back at all today?
Oh, I don't know.
I don't know, Niamh.
- [GLASS SHATTERS]
- Jesus Christ!
Erm, look I 'd better go,
Amy's wrecking the gaff, but, um,
I'll see you if I see you, OK?
Yeah, OK.
Can we go?
"I hereby waive any right
of action against the State,"
"or any public body, arising out
of my admission to working in"
"Please insert name
of institution"
- Does this mean what I think it means?!
- Yes.
They're protecting themselves,
Lorna.
Wait, wait, so if we sign this,
no matter what else we find out,
they'll get away with it.
And anyone else who was involved,
they'll all get off Scot-free,
including Ignatius J McCullen,
whoever he is.
They're trying to bury this.
All of it!
You have to make sure
they don't sign, Lorna.
Yeah, I know.
- [BUBBLING]
- Still nothing?
Well, you know what they say
about a watched pot.
It called the kettle black?
- [DOOR OPENS]
- Give me strength.
[DOOR CLOSES]
- Sarge?
- Massey!
I want to press charges!
Christ. Right, er
Well, do you want to be a bit more
specific or do I have to guess?
Amy Kane, and all them other ones
that that Niamh has all riled up.
Barman at the Clew Bay
tells me her partner
has the function room there booked.
They're fuckin' celebrating!
"Celebrating"?
Word around town is
the Government's after caving.
Huh, believes every word
that they're claiming.
Is that right?
That's right, yeah.
And someone whose job it is
to keep the peace in Kilkinure
might be well advised to remind them
that digging up the past isn't
going to make 'em any happier.
Well, sure, it's out of my hands.
- Out of your hands?
- Mmm.
Whose side are you on?
[PHONE RINGS]
You know,
you were as much a part of this
as anyone else.
[BANG!]
On your head be it!
Sarge!
What?
That was Dublin.
Check your email.
Right.
C'mon, Peg, what're you going
to get with all that money?
And don't say double-glazed windows.
Well
I saw a picture
in a magazine. [CHUCKLES]
Some town in Morocco or Mongolia?
Bit of a
Bit of a difference there, Peg.
Well, wherever it was,
every wall and street was painted
the same blue as the sky.
Can you imagine that?
It's only a thought.
But just once,
to see a place like that.
How about you, Carmel? What are you
going to do with your share?
Me?
Sure, she doesn't even know
why she's here.
I'm giving my money to the Sisters.
[DOOR OPENS]
- Wait! You haven't signed it, have you?!
- Lorna, you're here.
Who the hell is that?
- [LAUGHS] I told ya!
- Isn't it great news, Lorna?
- It's great news!
- No, no, no!
- I don't think it is.
- What are you talking about?
Look, if you sign this,
you can't bring any further
action against the Church.
Did none of you read
the small print?
Yeah, no, we did, but why would we
want to bring
any further action against them?
I think
[SHE SIGHS]
No, I know. I know that the Convent
was selling our children.
Hundreds of them.
Maybe more.
That's ridiculous.
[LORNA SCOFFS] Right!
And now, they're trying to
silence us in exchange for money.
No. No, no, no.
That's not what this is.
This is a good thing we've
achieved here.
Did you not hear what
I just told you?
- Yeah, I did.
- They're trafficking our children!
OK.
OK, you see that?
That's Clemence's daughter.
Breda.
Alive and kicking.
And here
It says here that she died in 1986.
Which is a bit strange
considering I had a cup of tea
with her this morning.
MASSEY: You're dead?
COLMAN: According to the
House of the Sacred Shepherd, yes.
They were falsifying death
certificates to cover their tracks.
They weren't in the business
of adopting kids.
They were in the business
of selling them.
- "Selling them"?!
- Yeah. And I was one of them.
Lorna told me that she
found the names of hundreds
of dead children with
no burial records.
Thanks.
That's because they were not dead.
They were all trafficked.
I found something else meself.
Father Percy's phone records?
One call made from the priest's
phone that night
to a hotel in Dublin after 6pm,
which is odd, considering
Aoife Cassidy and her husband were
halfway to Kilkinure by then.
You see, Dublin reckons that
Father Percy just took a while,
you know,
to succumb to his injuries.
But still well enough to make
a phone call, though.
Yeah, but who might he have called?
Well, might have been the person
who stole the phone.
- So, he called the murderer?
- Maybe.
Look, given that all of this is just
pure conjecture, who else would
have wanted to see a retired parish
priest get his head bashed in?
I mean, you said it yourself,
this is an operation of a
large number of people.
I do have the name of one.
- "Ignatius J McCullen."
- Now, if I wasn't on leave,
I 'd still have access
to the PULSE database
and I might be
able to find out more.
Well, sure, in for a penny
and all that.
Skelly?
So, Ignatius J McCullen.
I don't know what to make of this,
Lorna.
I don't know what you expect
us to do.
I'm asking you to help me.
I, I, I I can't fight this
on me own and
if I'm the only voice,
they'll just say I'm mad.
Who's "they"?
They? The The State.
The Church.
Her.
[LORNA SIGHS]
Look, as soon as you sign this,
everyone stops searching
for the truth.
This becomes the truth,
the State's version of events,
- but if no-one signs
- Yeah, if no-one signs,
it'll be another 20 years at least
before the State even considers
the status of the Laundry.
If at all!
- Some of us don't have that time, Lorna!
- I know.
I know
what I'm asking of you is huge.
I don't really like having
to remember that place.
Most days I think I 'd die happy
if nobody ever mentioned it again,
I really do.
They're admitting to the whole world
that what they did to us
was wrong.
They're only admitting it was wrong
so they can cover up how
awful it truly was!
I know
I know that this is not enough,
but, please, would you
let it be something, because
we can't pass this up,
Lorna. We can't!
Amy
Amy, please
Don't sign this.
What difference would it make
if I didn't?
It's a bit of money.
Nobody calling me a liar any more.
It sounds all right to me.
But you could find your child.
We both could.
They're trying to stop us
doing that.
I tm not like you.
Why will none of you listen to me?
Why should they?
When have you been there for them?
And after all the times you've gone
crying wolf, you're expecting them
to believe you now? Only recently
you were saying you killed someone.
That there was someone
in the walls of your house.
- There was. There was a woman!
- Oh, Lorna, please, Jesus Christ
Her name was Aoife Cassidy.
She was a nun and and she was
in in the Convent.
She was trying to help me. She was
trying to tell me about this!
But we we never got
the chance to speak.
[WOMEN SIGH]
Yeah, but for all I know,
you know, maybe, maybe,
maybe she was silenced
in the same way that they're trying
to silence us now!
WEAKLY: Oh, I'm I'm sorry,
I'm too tired for this.
Please, don't sign.
Carmel, would you like some help?
Going to say me piece is all!
Just going to say me piece!
Yeah, Thomas, get out.
This is a private event.
I know exactly what this is.
[PHONE RINGS]
Yeah, Massey speaking, what is it?
Massey, it's Don. Thomas
is here ranting and raving.
- Oh, is he now?
- He's in a right state []
Yeah, all right.
- Can you come down here?
- Yeah, all right!
I don't suppose you know
what the J stands for?
Yeah, there's a bit of trouble
down at the, er, Clew Bay.
I'll be back in an hour. Will you
let me know if you find something?
THOMAS: Everyone out there
talking about your big pay-out!
Now, who's going to be
paying for that, do you think?
The State, you gobshite!
So, where's the State going
to get its money from, eh?
Me!
All that lot.
We'll be footing the bill
cos the bunch of whores
couldn't keep their knickers
on 30, 40 years ago!
Go on, you prick.
Does that sound fair?
Yeah, it does.
[DOOR OPENS]
None of yous were in that place
without good reason!
Right, that's enough out of you,
Thomas. Let's go.
Now, don't pretend you don't
agree with me, Massey.
You know well that was the best
place for them.
Would you ever fuck off away
with yourself?!
And you!
No-one knows better than me
why the priest was called on you!
- Leave her alone.
- Leave her alone?!
Well, what about me?
Where was anyone
when she was jumping all over me?
A married man!
And did that stop her?
Didn't stop you either, did it?
But you wouldn't let it lie,
would ye?
Nuns in there did you a favour.
A favour?
All right, Thomas, come on.
No, Massey, leave him!
Let him hear what I have to say!
Do you know what
they did to me in there?!
Do you know what happened to me
after you had your daddy
ring up the priest
to hide your little
fucking embarrassment?!
I gave birth in that hellhole!
Nobody there beside me
except two bitches
who didn't give a shit
whether I lived or died!
Who wouldntt give me
any pain relief!
Who wouldn't sew me up
down there after
[SHE SOBS]
They told me she was dead
long before
I even finished giving birth.
Without a trace of compassion
or remorse.
I think they would've rathered
I'd gone along with her.
They didn't give a shit
about me and my baby.
VOICE BREAKING:
They didn't even tell me
what they did with the body
And the next day
The next day, they had
me working in that Laundry.
I was only 15 years of age, Thomas!
I wouldn't wish that type
of suffering on anyone.
Not even you, you prick.
[SOBBING]
[SOBBING]
Sounds to me like the child
was better off.
- [SHE GRUNTS WITH RAGE]
- Fuck!
You fucking bastard!
Go on, Amy!
- Ah! Ah, Jesus!
- [SCATTERED APPLAUSE]
[AMY CRIES]
[AMY SOBS BITTERLY]
I'm so sorry.
I never knew.
[PAINED SOBS]
- Slipped, did he?
- ALL: Yes, he slipped.
Yes, he couldn't stand
Let's see if I can get you a little
plaster or something. Come on.
- Get off me!
- Good man. That's right, yeah.
- Come on.
- Get the fuck away from me, Massey!
Calm yourself. That's right, yeah.
[SHE SOBS WEAKLY]
You should sign.
[SHE SNIFFLES]
[SHE EXHALES]
[SHE GROANS]
Niamh? Is everything OK?
Something's up, something's up!
Sit down.
Call an ambulance.
Oh, shit.
[NIAMH GROANS]
Fuck! Jesus!
I'm a midwife, OK?
Er, I need an ambulance,
Clew Bay Social Club.
- MAN: Hello?
- Yeah.
Hello, I'm back.
Er, I did speak to your colleague
about this yesterday?
Yeah, no.
Er, I just wanted to call
to confirm it.
That call just came into reception,
but it was never forwarded
to a room.
Do you know who took
it at reception?
It was a very busy night.
There were three large
events taking place.
- Whoa, what, what events?
- Ah, one moment, please.
What is it?
News archive -
Brookfield Jesuit News, April 1994.
The opening of the Wisconsin
Holy Cross Adoption agency,
formerly the House of the Sacred
Shepherd, founded by Jim McCullen.
He dropped the Ignatius.
He'd fuckin' want to and all.
A few years later,
he starts going by James.
I guess it sounded
fancier than Jim.
Where did you find that?
Interpol.
Why was he listed on Interpol?
No arrests, but he was questioned
for doing fund raising
for the Life, Love & Liberty
Foundation
right up until they bombed
a couple of abortion clinics
about a decade ago.
Lovely bunch of lads!
Do you have a picture of him?
- Yeah, but it's about 20 years old.
- Hmm.
Detective?
- Detective?
- Yeah.
On that night we were hosting
two weddings and a conference.
What was the conference?
Er, it was the Eadrom group.
I believe it was something
to do with the survivors
of the Magdalene Laundries,
that sort of thing.
Detective?
Hello, Detective?
That's James Coyle.
[SHE SCREAMS]
Oh, Jesus!
[SHE GASPS]
There's still no ambulance!
Can somebody go to the bar?
Ah, it's hardly the time, Sister.
- We're going to need some towels.
- I'll go!
OK, sweetheart, just breathe, OK?
What have you been eating?!
Sorry, I had a lot of
cheese sandwiches.
- OK, I'm sorry.
- That's it, Niamh, you're breathing well.
- Right, keep that up.
- Remember to breathe
to the rhythm of Staying Alive.
You know, ha, ha, ha
- No, Niamh, don't do that.
- Here.
Thank you.
Now push!
No!
I remember Aoife Cassidy.
I'm not surprised
she came back to help you.
There was always something
special about that girl.
We sensed it.
And when she
didn't complete her vows,
when it happened,
we knew for sure.
When what happened?
Oh, the doctors had some sort of
fan-dangled name for it.
But we all knew what it was.
A miracle!
And I was there to see it.
What are you talking about?
She died
and she rose again.
God brought her back for a reason.
Maybe it was you.
Oh, Christ.
[SHE GASPS]
[WIND WHISTLES]
[SHE TAKES DEEP BREATH]
[CROWS CAW]
[CROWS CAW]
[WIND HOWLING]
[CROWS CAW]
[DULL TAP]
[WIND HOWLS]
[CROWS CAW]
Agnes, my daughter, she's dead.
29O children who died
at the convent
I could only find graves for three.
AMY: we're the only mammies left
- and we've been through hell together.
- Back off!
[CLUNK, QUIET GROAN]
COLMAN: My mam told me that
Father Percy put her in touch with
the House of the Sacred Shepherd
and I was adopted through them.
February, 1989.
What if they didn't shut down?
What if they just went underground?
LOLA: You went to Lazarus House?
What happened to me in there?
I don't want you coming back
to work for a while.
According to this, you're dead.
But you're alive?
Yeah.
So, this is fake, right?
But it's got Government stamps
and everything.
It's just like Agnes'.
Maybe she's alive, too?
Exactly.
So, you were born in a
Mother and Baby Home?
I don't
I don't talk about it much.
It's OK.
It's OK.
So, why are you showing
this to me now?
I took some files.
Evidence from Father Percy's house.
So, between that and these, maybe
maybe we could find out
what happened to your daughter.
Thank you.
How much of this is there?
Father Percy kept everything.
Letters, birthday cards,
Christmas cards from the families he
helped.
Right.
Jesus Christ!
What? What is it?
"Dear Father Percy, Merry Christmas
and a Happy New Year,"
"best wishes, Frank, Joyce and"
BOTH: Breda.
"Aged eight and four months."
Clemence had a daughter
called Breda.
That's her, in the middle.
Breda was born in '85.
The same month as Agnes.
It has to be her, right?
If it is her, and if Father Percy
was involved in her adoption,
maybe she has a death
certificate, too?
I don't know.
We can check.
Whoa, whoa!
Where did you get all of these?
Don't ask.
[SEA BIRDS CALL]
SKELLY: Oh, hey, Sarge, just
checking in to see how youtre doing?
I know you said you were sick,
but I can hear you clumping around
up there and I thought maybe
[HE SIGHS]
MUSIC: Do You Miss Me by Mimi Allen ♪
[SIZZLING]
Do you miss me ♪
[WIND CHIMES TINKLE]
When I'm not around? ♪
That you're happy for me ♪
- [MUSIC FADES]
- ♪
[HE SIGHS]
[LORNA MURMURS NAMES]
"Connor"
Here it is!
"Breda Tooley."
"Cause of death - asthma."
"2nd of May, 1986."
What the fuck is going on?
Maybe Frank and Joyce can tell us.
"11, Mill Road."
That's it.
Mill Road? I mean,
how many Mill Roads are there?
Oh, loads.
Hey, can you? Look at that.
Something Heart Church?
"Sacred Heart Church."
Fuck, I mean, you can't throw
a stone in this country without
- hitting one of those.
- But how many are near a Mill Road?
That's very good work, Columbo.
One.
Two.
- Here.
- Three.
Four.
Five.
And that one's closest.
- Let's start there.
- OK.
Why do you think
he wanted to see me?
Maybe he wants to propose.
It's bad news. It has to be.
Hey, will you stop?
A sofa like this would be
nice in the living room.
Although you wouldn't want
to get sick on it.
Why would I be getting sick on it?
Not you, eejit, the baby!
Niamh! Anna! Hello.
- James, hi.
- No, no, no.
Please, please, stay where you are.
Er, can I get you anything?
- Tea, coffee?
- No, we're grand, thanks.
- I 'd murder a coffee.
- Ah, right, just a second.
Um
could I have, er,
one coffee over here, please?
Thank you.
What's this?
[SMACKS LIPS]
Well, I, um
I wouldn't go so far as to say
it's a slam-dunk,
as the Yanks might say, but
NIAMH: The State is recognising
the Kilkinure Convent
as a laundry.
Once those letters are signed,
yes, as a Magdalene Laundry.
And all of the women will be
entitled to their compensation.
- [SHE GASPS] You did it.
- Oh, my God
Oh, my God!
[SHE LAUGHS]
Oh, God
Oh, God
We didn't even know my mam was
in the laundry until after she passed.
Like, she never even told my dad.
That's how ashamed she felt.
And now this,
them openly acknowledging it
can you imagine what that
would have done for her?
VOICE BREAKING: I just wish
she was here to see it
She'd be so proud of you.
Well, there, um
There are
other women that we can help,
so the sooner we can get these
letters to them to sign, the better.
Thank you for this, James.
I'll get that coffee.
[SHEEP BLEAT]
[LOUD MUSIC BLARES]
MUSIC: Dearg Doom by Horslips
My love is colder
than black marble by the sea ♪
My heart is older
than the cold oak tree ♪
I am the flash of silver in the sun ♪
When you see me coming
you had better ♪
Run, run, run ♪
From Dearg Doom ♪
From Dearg ♪
COUNTRY MUSIC PLAYS
.. Baby, it's gone ♪
Are you OK?
Yeah.
[HE SWITCHES RADIO OFF]
You sure?
Yeah.
When did you last sleep?
Don't know. What day is it?
[WINDOW WHIRS]
It's Wednesday.
I don't know. Like, a week ago?
How much do you know about your mam?
Like, your your real mam, I mean.
As much as you know about Agnes.
Just her name.
What was her name?
Catherine.
Catherine.
Wait, you know, you had
one of those death certs, too.
Why don't we just ask your parents
if they knew what was going on?
It's complicated.
Right.
- Wait, stop!
- What?
Right, go left! Go left!
What?
SHOUTING: Go left!
The Sacred Heart Church!
This is it.
[SEA BIRDS CALL, SHIP'S HORN BLOWS]
[MUSIC PLAYS ON HEADPHONES]
[CLATTERING]
Sarge?
[MUSIC STOPS]
I thought you were off sick?
What's that?
I'm not sure yet.
Skelly
do you ever get tired
of being useless?
I'm sorry.
No, no, I don't mean that, no.
I mean
I mean, I feel useless.
And I'm sick and tired of it.
[MASSEY SIGHS]
[LINE RINGS]
Drennan.
Er, Detective Drennan,
yeah, Sergeant Massey, Kilkinure.
- Long time no speak, Massey.
- Lookit, I need you to forward me
on all of the latest materials
relevant to the case.
- What?
- Yeah.
- All of them?
- Yeah.
Pathologists' reports,
phone records,
whatever you have,
send everything.
I don't think that's pertinent.
Not pertinent?
Look, you do know
that the victim's car
was burned on state
property, do you?
- Yeah, of course, I do.
- Yeah, well, this is a small town
and now, not only do the locals have
a priest-murderer to worry about,
- there's an arsonist to boot!
- Arson?
Arson, yeah, as in big fire that
nearly burned down our station.
Now, you don't think
that's pertinent, do you?
Well, I think that's very pertinent.
In fact, do you think
your superintendent might think
it was very pertinent, too?
Can you hold?
Oh, no bother at all.
Yeah, I can wait.
[BEEPING]
Stick the kettle on there, will ye?
Well, this is it.
Bresnahan.
Whoa, whoa, Lorna! Hold on.
We don't just
Look, I'll show them my badge,
tell them I'm investigating
irregularities
in the adoption process or
something.
OK? We'll play it from there.
What? Well, what about me?
You
Might be best
if you just say nothing.
- [COLMAN KNOCKS]
- What, I can't say anything
to the people who took
Clemence's daughter?
- [DOOR OPENS] Yeah?
- Hello.
Er, we're looking for the, er,
the Bresnahans?
My parents.
I'm house-sitting
for them at the moment.
- [DOG WHINES]
- Well, dog-sitting, really.
Can I help you with anything?
- You'd be?
- Breda.
- Er, who are you?
- Um
Sorry, I'm Detective Colman Akande.
Do you know
when your parents might be back?
CLEMENCE: This is my baby
Isn't she beautiful?
[BABY GURGLES]
How'd she know my name?
It might be best
if we spoke to your parents first.
[SHE SIGHS]
What's this about?
Your adoption.
Oh, God
[SHE SIGHS]
Are you my my birth mother?
No, no.
No, no, I'm not.
But I know her.
Knew her.
- You knew her?
- She, er
- Oh, my God, she's, um?
- Yeah.
A few days ago.
[EXHALES]
I'm so sorry, um
No, wait, I just wanted
to ask if you could
- [DOOR SLAMS]
- [SIGHS] Shite.
Oh, shite.
[DOOR OPENS]
What is this about, really?
My name's Lorna.
I was in the same
Mother and Baby Home as your mam.
This is you.
Ah, fuck.
COLMAN: How long had you
known you were adopted?
Ages.
My folks told me
when I was really young.
Too young probably.
I was, like, "Mam! Dad!"
They were, like, "Let me stop you
there, sweetheart."
"In the interest of accuracy, we're
not your biological mam and dad."
[SHE CHUCKLES]
It's funny.
It's not funny. Sorry,
I don't know why I said that.
Was she, erm, was she funny?
My, erm, my birth mother?
No.
Oh.
My parents
had tried adopting before,
but the State said that they
were too old,
so someone they knew at Mass said
you should talk to Father So-and-so,
- he'll be able to help you out
- Father Percy Sheehan?
Yeah, I don't know his name.
But he told my folks
that there's this one baby
and she's not doing very well.
Erm, she's nine months but only
weighs as much as a newborn,
because her mother wouldn't
feed her. She just abandoned her.
Yeah.
Things weren't looking
good for Baby Breda.
My parents, they didn't want me
being shipped off to
St Alma's, you know?
St Alma's? What's that?
Erm, I don't know, but it's where
most of the kids went.
- Wait, most of the kids?
- Yeah.
Guess I was lucky, in a way.
Lucky?
Is that what you'd call yourself?
Yeah, my parents did everything
for me.
And they saved my life, getting me
out of there when they did.
No, we're not blaming them.
I mean, Jesus,
they remortgaged this house!
Wait, what?!
Yeah, to save me.
What?
- They paid to adopt you?
- No.
They gave money.
- How much money?
- I don't know, exactly.
Wait, who did they pay?
The people who'd been keeping you?
- No.
- Well, who, then?!
No, no, no, no!
It was a thank you. Jesus!
Youtre making it sound like
Look, you're not going to
make me hate my parents
No, we're not saying that.
I think, er, you two should go.
All right, thank you for your time.
Lorna?
You know what, she didn't
Your mother, Clemence,
she didn't just leave you there
and abandon you.
She would never have done that.
She loved you, right?
She always loved you.
[SHE SOBS, DOOR OPENS]
St Alma's Church,
St Alma's School,
St Alma's Well.
The way she talked about it,
all those kids,
maybe it was an orphanage?
[MOBILE VIBRATES]
Have you found anything?
- Colman!
- What?!
Did you find anything?
Do you have Breda's
death cert with you?
She said she was adopted
when she was nine months old, right?
So, it will be sometime in May?
Er, yeah.
Her death cert says
she died of asthma on May 2nd.
Now, look at what Father Percy
has marked down that same day.
Private donation. Roof, £5,000.
£5,000 is no small chunk of change
now, but 30 years ago
Yeah, she said they
remortgaged their home.
Yes. Look at what pops
up at the end of the month.
Another private donation.
Furnishings, £7,500.
It's another kid.
February 25th.
Private donation.
General repairs, £4,500.
April 2nd. Private donation.
Hymn books, £6,718.36.
- That's a weird number.
- Go to September.
What?
September 18th, 1986.
Private donation.
Upkeep, £10,887.09.
[ECHOING: BABY GURGLES, SHE LAUGHS]
They sold her.
- It's called human trafficking.
- They fuckin' sold her!
- Hey! Hey!
- Sold her!
Hey! Lorna, give me that!
- Give me that!
- They sold her
- This is evidence
- Yeah, it's my life!
Hey, it's my life, too.
For all I know, my parents
could have made
one of these donations, too.
Right.
So, can we please
go and talk to them?
But theytre admitting it, right?
- Everything that happened?
- Yes.
If you sign this,
the Irish State will recognise
that you were placed in
a Magdalene Laundry
and forced to work there
against your will.
And that's what they're calling it?
A Laundry?
Not a training centre
- or an industrial school or?
- No.
- [SHE SIGHS, DEEPLY]
- They're saying it was a Laundry.
Well, thank God for that.
We should be as loud
about this as possible
because there's still people out
there who need to know.
They can take on the Church
and the State and you can win.
Sorry, guys, I'll just be
I'll just be a minute, OK?
Ah, you came!
- We did it!
- We did it!
- You all right?
- Mm-hm.
- [ALL SNIFFLE]
- NIAMH: Guys.
- Shit.
- Everyone
Erm, this is Carmel.
- No fucking way.
- Hello?
Oh, my goodness.
She was a friend of my mother's
at the Laundry.
Well, whatts a fucking nun
doing here?
Carmel wanted to celebrate
with you all.
Carmel still lives at the Convent
and the, er, Sisters look after her.
Yeah, guys,
do we want to maybe take our drinks
and we can all sit up
here beside Anna and
maybe have a catch-up or
Where's Lorna Brady?
She'd be loving this.
So, you work with Colman?
Sort of.
She was in a Mother and Baby Home
when she was a teenager.
Her child was taken from her.
My goodness.
Thanks for the tea.
On the phone, you said
you wanted to talk?
Yeah.
With my adoption, did you go to
Father Percy or did he approach you?
He heard that we were having
trouble having a child
and he offered to help.
Did you pay for me?
Did we pay for you?
- What are you saying?
- Was there money involved?
- Could you give us a moment?
- Er, yeah
No. No, I 'd like her to stay.
You can stay. She deserves to hear
this as much I do.
I don't understand what you're
asking me.
I'm asking you
if money exchanged hands, Mam?
Oh, not like that.
- Not like how you're saying.
- What happened, then?
Father Percy told us that it was
expected that we make a donation.
Did you?
Yes, but
[HE SIGHS]
- What?
- Nothing.
No, tell me. What's wrong?
[HE SCOFFS]
That wasn't a donation, Mam.
That's not what they told us.
That's not what they said.
You don't know what it was
like for people like us back then.
The way your father
and I were treated.
Everyone turned us away.
But the Church the Church
welcomed us.
They wanted to help.
You wouldn't have lasted
another week in that place.
Do you know if she wanted me?
Did you ever ask her?
I did ask once.
But Father Percy said he didn't want
to speak ill of anyone.
Not even someone who had
abandoned their child.
So I didn't ask again
Yeah, but she could be out
there right now.
Catherine, my mother,
looking for her child.
Right now!
Just like Lorna is.
[CHILDREN CHATTER]
[LOW GROWLING]
Run, Colman. Hide!
The Cruelty Man is coming! Run!
[DRAGGING FOOTSTEPS, LOW SNARLING]
Don't make a sound,
or he'll hear you!
[THUD!]
This is all we have from back then.
Everything they gave us.
Who's this?
I think that's one of the men
Father Percy introduced us to.
[MOBILE VIBRATES]
- Hello?
- Lorna.
- Hi, Niamh.
- Finally, you're picking up.
- Are you OK?
- Yeah, I'm fine.
Yeah, well, you weren't
answering earlier.
Yeah, well, I'm kind of
in the middle of something.
OK, well, erm, I've been trying to
get a hold of you because, erm,
- we've had a bit of good news.
- OK?
Yeah, there's going
to be an apology,
compensation, the whole shebang.
Everything we've been
working towards.
Did you hear what I said?
The Convent's going to be officially
recognised as a Laundry.
When did this happen?
I only got the letter this morning!
But, erm
We're down the Clew Bay
at the moment
having a bit of a get-together
to, you know, sign the letters
and have a drink,
if you'd like to join us?
Oh
No, I I'm in Dublin.
- What the hell are you doing in Dublin?
- It's a long story.
Hey, what did you
say about signing letters?
I'll send it to you right now.
I'll email it across.
Erm, do you think you'll
be back at all today?
Oh, I don't know.
I don't know, Niamh.
- [GLASS SHATTERS]
- Jesus Christ!
Erm, look I 'd better go,
Amy's wrecking the gaff, but, um,
I'll see you if I see you, OK?
Yeah, OK.
Can we go?
"I hereby waive any right
of action against the State,"
"or any public body, arising out
of my admission to working in"
"Please insert name
of institution"
- Does this mean what I think it means?!
- Yes.
They're protecting themselves,
Lorna.
Wait, wait, so if we sign this,
no matter what else we find out,
they'll get away with it.
And anyone else who was involved,
they'll all get off Scot-free,
including Ignatius J McCullen,
whoever he is.
They're trying to bury this.
All of it!
You have to make sure
they don't sign, Lorna.
Yeah, I know.
- [BUBBLING]
- Still nothing?
Well, you know what they say
about a watched pot.
It called the kettle black?
- [DOOR OPENS]
- Give me strength.
[DOOR CLOSES]
- Sarge?
- Massey!
I want to press charges!
Christ. Right, er
Well, do you want to be a bit more
specific or do I have to guess?
Amy Kane, and all them other ones
that that Niamh has all riled up.
Barman at the Clew Bay
tells me her partner
has the function room there booked.
They're fuckin' celebrating!
"Celebrating"?
Word around town is
the Government's after caving.
Huh, believes every word
that they're claiming.
Is that right?
That's right, yeah.
And someone whose job it is
to keep the peace in Kilkinure
might be well advised to remind them
that digging up the past isn't
going to make 'em any happier.
Well, sure, it's out of my hands.
- Out of your hands?
- Mmm.
Whose side are you on?
[PHONE RINGS]
You know,
you were as much a part of this
as anyone else.
[BANG!]
On your head be it!
Sarge!
What?
That was Dublin.
Check your email.
Right.
C'mon, Peg, what're you going
to get with all that money?
And don't say double-glazed windows.
Well
I saw a picture
in a magazine. [CHUCKLES]
Some town in Morocco or Mongolia?
Bit of a
Bit of a difference there, Peg.
Well, wherever it was,
every wall and street was painted
the same blue as the sky.
Can you imagine that?
It's only a thought.
But just once,
to see a place like that.
How about you, Carmel? What are you
going to do with your share?
Me?
Sure, she doesn't even know
why she's here.
I'm giving my money to the Sisters.
[DOOR OPENS]
- Wait! You haven't signed it, have you?!
- Lorna, you're here.
Who the hell is that?
- [LAUGHS] I told ya!
- Isn't it great news, Lorna?
- It's great news!
- No, no, no!
- I don't think it is.
- What are you talking about?
Look, if you sign this,
you can't bring any further
action against the Church.
Did none of you read
the small print?
Yeah, no, we did, but why would we
want to bring
any further action against them?
I think
[SHE SIGHS]
No, I know. I know that the Convent
was selling our children.
Hundreds of them.
Maybe more.
That's ridiculous.
[LORNA SCOFFS] Right!
And now, they're trying to
silence us in exchange for money.
No. No, no, no.
That's not what this is.
This is a good thing we've
achieved here.
Did you not hear what
I just told you?
- Yeah, I did.
- They're trafficking our children!
OK.
OK, you see that?
That's Clemence's daughter.
Breda.
Alive and kicking.
And here
It says here that she died in 1986.
Which is a bit strange
considering I had a cup of tea
with her this morning.
MASSEY: You're dead?
COLMAN: According to the
House of the Sacred Shepherd, yes.
They were falsifying death
certificates to cover their tracks.
They weren't in the business
of adopting kids.
They were in the business
of selling them.
- "Selling them"?!
- Yeah. And I was one of them.
Lorna told me that she
found the names of hundreds
of dead children with
no burial records.
Thanks.
That's because they were not dead.
They were all trafficked.
I found something else meself.
Father Percy's phone records?
One call made from the priest's
phone that night
to a hotel in Dublin after 6pm,
which is odd, considering
Aoife Cassidy and her husband were
halfway to Kilkinure by then.
You see, Dublin reckons that
Father Percy just took a while,
you know,
to succumb to his injuries.
But still well enough to make
a phone call, though.
Yeah, but who might he have called?
Well, might have been the person
who stole the phone.
- So, he called the murderer?
- Maybe.
Look, given that all of this is just
pure conjecture, who else would
have wanted to see a retired parish
priest get his head bashed in?
I mean, you said it yourself,
this is an operation of a
large number of people.
I do have the name of one.
- "Ignatius J McCullen."
- Now, if I wasn't on leave,
I 'd still have access
to the PULSE database
and I might be
able to find out more.
Well, sure, in for a penny
and all that.
Skelly?
So, Ignatius J McCullen.
I don't know what to make of this,
Lorna.
I don't know what you expect
us to do.
I'm asking you to help me.
I, I, I I can't fight this
on me own and
if I'm the only voice,
they'll just say I'm mad.
Who's "they"?
They? The The State.
The Church.
Her.
[LORNA SIGHS]
Look, as soon as you sign this,
everyone stops searching
for the truth.
This becomes the truth,
the State's version of events,
- but if no-one signs
- Yeah, if no-one signs,
it'll be another 20 years at least
before the State even considers
the status of the Laundry.
If at all!
- Some of us don't have that time, Lorna!
- I know.
I know
what I'm asking of you is huge.
I don't really like having
to remember that place.
Most days I think I 'd die happy
if nobody ever mentioned it again,
I really do.
They're admitting to the whole world
that what they did to us
was wrong.
They're only admitting it was wrong
so they can cover up how
awful it truly was!
I know
I know that this is not enough,
but, please, would you
let it be something, because
we can't pass this up,
Lorna. We can't!
Amy
Amy, please
Don't sign this.
What difference would it make
if I didn't?
It's a bit of money.
Nobody calling me a liar any more.
It sounds all right to me.
But you could find your child.
We both could.
They're trying to stop us
doing that.
I tm not like you.
Why will none of you listen to me?
Why should they?
When have you been there for them?
And after all the times you've gone
crying wolf, you're expecting them
to believe you now? Only recently
you were saying you killed someone.
That there was someone
in the walls of your house.
- There was. There was a woman!
- Oh, Lorna, please, Jesus Christ
Her name was Aoife Cassidy.
She was a nun and and she was
in in the Convent.
She was trying to help me. She was
trying to tell me about this!
But we we never got
the chance to speak.
[WOMEN SIGH]
Yeah, but for all I know,
you know, maybe, maybe,
maybe she was silenced
in the same way that they're trying
to silence us now!
WEAKLY: Oh, I'm I'm sorry,
I'm too tired for this.
Please, don't sign.
Carmel, would you like some help?
Going to say me piece is all!
Just going to say me piece!
Yeah, Thomas, get out.
This is a private event.
I know exactly what this is.
[PHONE RINGS]
Yeah, Massey speaking, what is it?
Massey, it's Don. Thomas
is here ranting and raving.
- Oh, is he now?
- He's in a right state []
Yeah, all right.
- Can you come down here?
- Yeah, all right!
I don't suppose you know
what the J stands for?
Yeah, there's a bit of trouble
down at the, er, Clew Bay.
I'll be back in an hour. Will you
let me know if you find something?
THOMAS: Everyone out there
talking about your big pay-out!
Now, who's going to be
paying for that, do you think?
The State, you gobshite!
So, where's the State going
to get its money from, eh?
Me!
All that lot.
We'll be footing the bill
cos the bunch of whores
couldn't keep their knickers
on 30, 40 years ago!
Go on, you prick.
Does that sound fair?
Yeah, it does.
[DOOR OPENS]
None of yous were in that place
without good reason!
Right, that's enough out of you,
Thomas. Let's go.
Now, don't pretend you don't
agree with me, Massey.
You know well that was the best
place for them.
Would you ever fuck off away
with yourself?!
And you!
No-one knows better than me
why the priest was called on you!
- Leave her alone.
- Leave her alone?!
Well, what about me?
Where was anyone
when she was jumping all over me?
A married man!
And did that stop her?
Didn't stop you either, did it?
But you wouldn't let it lie,
would ye?
Nuns in there did you a favour.
A favour?
All right, Thomas, come on.
No, Massey, leave him!
Let him hear what I have to say!
Do you know what
they did to me in there?!
Do you know what happened to me
after you had your daddy
ring up the priest
to hide your little
fucking embarrassment?!
I gave birth in that hellhole!
Nobody there beside me
except two bitches
who didn't give a shit
whether I lived or died!
Who wouldntt give me
any pain relief!
Who wouldn't sew me up
down there after
[SHE SOBS]
They told me she was dead
long before
I even finished giving birth.
Without a trace of compassion
or remorse.
I think they would've rathered
I'd gone along with her.
They didn't give a shit
about me and my baby.
VOICE BREAKING:
They didn't even tell me
what they did with the body
And the next day
The next day, they had
me working in that Laundry.
I was only 15 years of age, Thomas!
I wouldn't wish that type
of suffering on anyone.
Not even you, you prick.
[SOBBING]
[SOBBING]
Sounds to me like the child
was better off.
- [SHE GRUNTS WITH RAGE]
- Fuck!
You fucking bastard!
Go on, Amy!
- Ah! Ah, Jesus!
- [SCATTERED APPLAUSE]
[AMY CRIES]
[AMY SOBS BITTERLY]
I'm so sorry.
I never knew.
[PAINED SOBS]
- Slipped, did he?
- ALL: Yes, he slipped.
Yes, he couldn't stand
Let's see if I can get you a little
plaster or something. Come on.
- Get off me!
- Good man. That's right, yeah.
- Come on.
- Get the fuck away from me, Massey!
Calm yourself. That's right, yeah.
[SHE SOBS WEAKLY]
You should sign.
[SHE SNIFFLES]
[SHE EXHALES]
[SHE GROANS]
Niamh? Is everything OK?
Something's up, something's up!
Sit down.
Call an ambulance.
Oh, shit.
[NIAMH GROANS]
Fuck! Jesus!
I'm a midwife, OK?
Er, I need an ambulance,
Clew Bay Social Club.
- MAN: Hello?
- Yeah.
Hello, I'm back.
Er, I did speak to your colleague
about this yesterday?
Yeah, no.
Er, I just wanted to call
to confirm it.
That call just came into reception,
but it was never forwarded
to a room.
Do you know who took
it at reception?
It was a very busy night.
There were three large
events taking place.
- Whoa, what, what events?
- Ah, one moment, please.
What is it?
News archive -
Brookfield Jesuit News, April 1994.
The opening of the Wisconsin
Holy Cross Adoption agency,
formerly the House of the Sacred
Shepherd, founded by Jim McCullen.
He dropped the Ignatius.
He'd fuckin' want to and all.
A few years later,
he starts going by James.
I guess it sounded
fancier than Jim.
Where did you find that?
Interpol.
Why was he listed on Interpol?
No arrests, but he was questioned
for doing fund raising
for the Life, Love & Liberty
Foundation
right up until they bombed
a couple of abortion clinics
about a decade ago.
Lovely bunch of lads!
Do you have a picture of him?
- Yeah, but it's about 20 years old.
- Hmm.
Detective?
- Detective?
- Yeah.
On that night we were hosting
two weddings and a conference.
What was the conference?
Er, it was the Eadrom group.
I believe it was something
to do with the survivors
of the Magdalene Laundries,
that sort of thing.
Detective?
Hello, Detective?
That's James Coyle.
[SHE SCREAMS]
Oh, Jesus!
[SHE GASPS]
There's still no ambulance!
Can somebody go to the bar?
Ah, it's hardly the time, Sister.
- We're going to need some towels.
- I'll go!
OK, sweetheart, just breathe, OK?
What have you been eating?!
Sorry, I had a lot of
cheese sandwiches.
- OK, I'm sorry.
- That's it, Niamh, you're breathing well.
- Right, keep that up.
- Remember to breathe
to the rhythm of Staying Alive.
You know, ha, ha, ha
- No, Niamh, don't do that.
- Here.
Thank you.
Now push!
No!
I remember Aoife Cassidy.
I'm not surprised
she came back to help you.
There was always something
special about that girl.
We sensed it.
And when she
didn't complete her vows,
when it happened,
we knew for sure.
When what happened?
Oh, the doctors had some sort of
fan-dangled name for it.
But we all knew what it was.
A miracle!
And I was there to see it.
What are you talking about?
She died
and she rose again.
God brought her back for a reason.
Maybe it was you.
Oh, Christ.
[SHE GASPS]
[WIND WHISTLES]
[SHE TAKES DEEP BREATH]
[CROWS CAW]
[CROWS CAW]
[WIND HOWLING]
[CROWS CAW]
[DULL TAP]
[WIND HOWLS]
[CROWS CAW]