Characters
Plot
Random
Ireland Facts
100

Who is the main character and coal merchant in the story?

Who is Bill Furlong? 

100

What season does the story take place in?

Christmas, Winter

100

The Magdalene laundries were run by which organization?

What is the Catholic Church?

100

What is the capital of Ireland?

What is Dublin? 

200

Who is believed to be Bill's father?

Who is Ned? 
200

What secret does Bill uncover in the story?

What is the mistreatment of girls in the Magdalene laundry?

200

What is Bill delivering when he discovers the truth about the Magdalene laundry

What is coal?

200

What is the national symbol of Ireland, often seen on coins and flags?

What is the harp? 

300

Who from Bill’s past  influenced his belief in helping others?

Who is Mrs. Wilson? 

300

What choice does Bill make that shows his courage?

What is helping the Magdalene girls despite the risks?

300

What was the main industry in many small Irish towns at the time?

What is manual labor such as coal delivery, farming, or local trades?

300

What economic hardship was Ireland experiencing in the 1980s that influences the setting?

What is high unemployment and emigration?

400

Who runs the Magdalene laundry in the story?

Who is Mother Superior?

400

How does Bill’s discovery affect his view of his community?

What is it makes him question the silence and complicity around him?

400

True or False – Magdalene laundries operated into the 1990s in Ireland.

True

400

What is Ireland’s nickname referencing its lush green landscape?

What is the Emerald Isle?

500

Which character represents the community’s reluctance to challenge authority?

Who is Eileen? 

500

What symbol in the story reflects both warmth and compassion?

What is coal? 

500

Name one reason many Irish people didn’t speak out about the laundries during this time.

What is fear of the Church, social shame, or risk to livelihood?

500

What currency did Ireland use before adopting the euro?

What is the Irish pound (punt)?

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