The new Audible Original podcast, The Madman's Hotel, is hosted by mental health activist and award-winning podcaster Niall Breslin.
Niall grows up in the shadow of St. Roman's Hospital and is rescued by Julie Clark in the series. Clark's great-grandmother, Julia Leonard, spent most of her life within the walls of a hospital.
The series begins with a family's mission to discover the truth about what happened to their great-grandmother, and uncovers the treatment patients received inside a “mental hospital” where 1,304 bodies went missing. . St. Romans officially closed in 2013, and the last burial was reported to have taken place in 1970.
Episode 1 introduces Julia Leonard, who is admitted to St. Roman's Hospital (a term coined from the 1950s poem “The Madman's Hotel”) by her husband in the late 1890s.
Although her mental state appeared to be good, she was imprisoned for 20 years until her death in 1919.
Her great-granddaughter Julie suspects that the motive behind her imprisonment was for her husband to continue his affair, and through a podcast series their checkered and unexpected past is revealed and the family It had a lasting impact on the.
Julie and Niall find out what really happened at St. Roman's Cemetery, where Julia Leonard is buried, and even more creepily, what actually happened where 1,304 other patients are buried. He goes on a journey to find out what happened.
Together they will confront the HSE, engage with other families who have their own stories about relatives who were dedicated to St Romans, and shine a spotlight on the persistent stigma that haunts mental health for many. I'll guess.
The series leads to the first ever apology from the HSE, the government department that manages Ireland's public health system and old “asylum facilities”, for the mishandling of former patients' graves.
The series' launch coincides with the introduction of a bill in Ireland's parliament this week to protect the records of survivors of such facilities.
Niall Breslin said of the series: “I have dedicated the last four years of my life to uncovering Ireland's sordid past of forced confinement in institutions like St Roman's College.
“This history deeply fascinates me and reveals a legacy that can no longer be ignored. The shadows of this past are still reflected in our global mental health systems today.
“What makes it so difficult for society to face this history is that it forces us to hold up a mirror and confront uncomfortable truths. I also felt insecure, so I hid it and literally buried it along with the voices that were being silenced.”
Niall continues: “Julia's heartbreaking story is tragically not unique. For too long, we have robbed people of their freedom and dignity. My deepest wishes for this series are: By showing respect in death, we can help restore a certain level of dignity to those who were wronged during their lifetime.
“It was an honor to tell this story, and I am deeply grateful to Julia's family for trusting me to tell them the truth.”
In search of answers, Madman's Hotel explores the dark history of Ireland's “insane asylums” and why so many of its citizens were trapped in these facilities with no hope of escape. Niall confronts his own personal struggles growing up in Mullingar in the shadow of St Roman's Hospital and challenges the myth of the 'crazy Irishman'.
Through his podcast, Niall highlighted the need to restore dignity and respect to the families and ancestors of patients in Ireland's historic psychiatric hospitals.
The Madman's Hotel is available to watch exclusively on Audible starting today, October 21st.
