Sarah Furlong is Bill's mother, who worked for Mrs. Wilson and faced societal shunning after becoming pregnant at 16. She provides minimal description in the book, often associated with nurturing and food-related memories.

Mrs. Wilson is a Protestant widow who lives in New Ross and becomes a surrogate parent to Furlong. Her privileged position allows her to help Sarah Furlong and Bill, challenging societal norms.

Ned is Mrs. Wilson's farmhand and secretly Bill Furlong's father. This relationship is initially obscured but becomes apparent as the story unfolds.

Eileen is Bill Furlong's wife, known for her practical mind and conformist tendencies. She prioritizes her family's social position and largely ignores the nuns' activities at the Magdalen laundry.

Kathleen, Joan, Sheila, Grace, and Loretta are Bill and Eileen's daughters, noted for their intelligence and vulnerability. Their education at a Catholic school in New Ross becomes precarious due to their father's actions.

Mrs. Kehoe runs the cafeteria that feeds Furlong's workers. She warns Furlong about interfering with the convent's business, indicating her alignment with the Catholic status quo.

The Mother Superior leads the Good Shepherd Nuns Convent. Her demeanor is initially calm but ultimately reveals her manipulative and controlling nature regarding Furlong's dealings with the convent.

Sarah Redmond is a teenage mother Furlong rescues from the Magdalen laundry. Her traumatic experience with the convent parallels that of Sarah Furlong, Bill's mother, and highlights societal issues.