Wednesday 10 June 2015

Angela Collins and her family's fight for justice.

Angela Collins was an Irish born traveller, she originated from county mayo, Ireland. She was in partnership with Patrick ward from tuam, Galway, Ireland. 

Angela Collins mothered three daughters named Angela Collins, Mary Collins and Teresa Collins. All three of Angela Collins children was stolen from her, along with thousands of other women in Ireland that had their children taken unlawfully. 

Angela Collins lived a life of running away from discrimination, hate and prejudices. She was a women that had three children out of marriage. In the 1960s within Ireland, the Irish government was intensely influenced by the Catholic Church. Meaning a women that wished to live their life's differently to how the state and church viewed a women should live and behave in the 1960s within Ireland was punished on behalf on their "sins". 

Women like Angela Collins was forced to enter the Magdalene laundries/Magdalene asylums to work unpaid. Some women who entered the laundries were sent by family members that felt pressured from society's prejudices, so they handed their girls to the nuns to "purifier" the girls. Some girls were women who had children out of wedlock or women that didn't follow the standards society set for women in those days. The women were branded as "fallen women" because in the church's eyes they had lost their innocence. Some women stayed as little as a year, while others stayed their whole life's. 

Angela Collins worked 27 years in peacock lane, cork, magdalene laundry. She died aged 57 within the walls of the magdalene laundries. She was buried in a mass grave in cork with 72 other women and she still currently lays in the grave where her murders placed her. 

Before Angela Collins entered the magdalene laundries, she was forced into a mother and baby home. She fled with her daughter Mary Collins at night in the pouring rain. She escaped but would soon be back in the clutches of the church. 

Angela Collins, Angela Collins', eldest daughter was forced into the magdalene laundries, aged 14, Angela Collins sadly committed suicide on Christmas Day. 

Mary Collins, Angela's second eldest daughter was made to enter an abusive industrial school aged 2 which was only a stones throw away from where her mother was placed. 

Teresa Collins was put up for adoption after years of Angela not signing the papers to give daughter up for adoption. Angela was given a choice by the nuns, she could ether signed the papers and she would get to see her second eldest daughter Mary Collins or she got nothing. Angela signed the papers knowing she would never get to see any of her girls again if she didn't. 

Mary Collins would enter the magdalene laundries at the age of 7 years to see her mother. Mary Collins received terrible abuse while in the laundries and out of the laundries by the same originations that run peacock lane, magdalene laundry. They are named, The sisters of charity, The good Shepard's and The sister of mercy, who were all in connection with each other. 

Mary Collins left the industrial school after finding a job. She soon after she fled to England in fear of being sent the magdalene laundries. 

In 2003 Angela's Collins' daughter Mary Collins and her children Craig Collins and Laura Collins and Anthony Collins held a ceremony on behalf of Angela Collins in St. finbars cemetery, county, cork. They cleaned the original head stone that read 72 other women's names and laid a new head stone on behalf of Mary Collins' mother Angela Collins. 

In 2013 Mary Collins and her daughter Laura Collins went to Ireland in attempt to get justice for Angela Collins. They broke into an elderly persons care home, where the nuns stay fully paid by the church. They found a women that Mary Collins remembered as a child and the nun also remembered Mary from when she use to attend the laundries to see her mother as a child. The nun admitted "wrongs had happened". Mary explained she wants her mother exhumed from the mass grave. The nun said she will get in contact with her further regarding it, nothing happened. Mary Collins was ignored even after writing many letters regarding removing her mother from the mass grave to bring her back to her home to rest in county mayo. 

In 2013, the Irish government provided an apology on behalf of the living women that entered the magdalene laundries. Mary Collins travelled to the dail, where she was refused entry. She had to contact Christine Buckley from the aisling centre, Dublin. Christine granted her entrance in and she sat with her waiting for the news like all the other women did. Although Mary Collins was not going to receive an apology on behalf of her mother Angela Collins. Instead she was excluded from the governments apology like she was nearly excluded from entering.

On the 19th February 2013, the Taoiseach Enda Kenny issued an apology to the living women but they excluded the women that had their life's taken. Enda Kenny stated "their cases died with them". Not even the families of the women that have suffered losses and pain received an apology. Mary Collins left the dail without an apology, while everyone celebrated getting justice. 

In 2014, Mary Collins took part in a book regarding her mothers story called, stolen lives, by Bette Browne in attempt to bring awareness to Angela Collins case. 

In 2015, The Justice 4 All Magdalene women was launched the founders of the group was Mary Collins and Laura Collins. Justice 4 All Magdalene Women is a group that was open on behalf of getting justice for all the magdalene women involved and that includes the families. Justice 4 all magdalene women has outreached to the prime mister of Ireland and the government body, yet justice for Angela Collins and the dead women and families have still not been given to those that deserve it. 

Remembrance to Christine Buckley: May her beautiful soul Rip. 

Twitter: @justice4allMags
Facebook: Justice 4 All Magdalene Women.



Angela Collins, peacock lane, cork, magdalene laundry. 



Mary Collins in an indrustal school, cork. 

Mary Collins, Craig Collins, Laura Collins and Anthony Collins, at St. Finbars cementary, Ireland, cork. 

Stolen lives, by bette Browne featuring some of Angela Collins and Mary Collins' story. 



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