What was the role of the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland’s Magdalene laundries?

Roman Catholic religious orders operated many of Ireland’s Magdalene laundries in collaboration with the Irish government. Although the laundries were classified as charities, they were operated as for-profit businesses that took in the washing of hotels, hospitals, school, and government entities. Between 1922 and 1996, more than 10,000 women and girls were admitted to Magdalene laundries in Ireland.