'The Woman in the Wall': Ruth Wilson Sheds Light on Ireland's Magdalene Laundries

The new series intertwines the stories of a woman traumatized by her past in a Magdalene laundry and a detective investigating a local priest's murder.

Ruth Wilson stars in 'The Woman in the Wall', a new series that explores the trauma of the Magdalene laundries in Ireland, church-run facilities for women and girls who were pregnant and unmarried or deemed as troubled.
Lorna, Wilson's character, was forced to work throughout her pregnancy in a Magdalene laundry and her baby was taken immediately after birth. She now suffers from sleepwalking and night terrors, waking up to discover a dead body in her home in the first episode.
The series intertwines Lorna's story with that of a detective named Colman, who is investigating the murder of a local priest and also has a history with these institutions.
The series premieres on Paramount+ before its broadcast debut on Showtime on Jan. 21.
Before her death, Sinéad O’Connor, who was sent to a Magdalene laundry as a teen, granted permission for one of her songs, 'The Magdalene Song', to be used in the final episode of the series.