Beggars and begging were ubiquitous features of pre-Famine Irish society, yet have gone largely unexamined by historians. Begging, Charity and Religion in Pre-Famine Ireland explores for the first time the complex cultures of mendicancy, as well as how wider societal perceptions of and responses to begging were framed by social class, gender and religion. The … Continue reading
Artistic works inspired by the Great Famine struggle to do it justice, but they keep the memory alive
This piece was originally published on The Conversation. How do you represent in film an experience as keen and painful as hunger? Director Lance Daly’s recently released film Black ‘47 – a revenge epic set during the 1840s Irish famine – is the latest attempt to depict the devastating catastrophe which left more than a million dead … Continue reading
Women of the Country House in Ireland – Five minutes with Maeve O’Riordan
Ahead of the launch of Women of the Country House in Ireland, 1860-1914, author Maeve O'Riordan discusses the various experiences of women among the Irish Ascendancy, from financial freedom to their own observations of motherhood. Women of the Country House in Ireland 1860-1914 reveals the lives of the women among the Irish Ascendancy. How did you go about … Continue reading
The Sixties and Youth Culture – A Distinctly Irish Experience
How was Ireland affected by the international youth culture of the Sixties? Author Carole Holohan discusses the pros and cons of life as a young adult in Sixties Ireland and reveals some of the surprising discoveries she made whilst writing her new book, Reframing Irish Youth in the Sixties. How was the reformulation of youth key … Continue reading
Strangling Angel: Diphtheria and Childhood Immunization in Ireland
Michael Dwyer, author of Strangling Angel, discusses Diphtheria, cover-ups and the childhood immunization programme in Ireland. Strangling Angel was inspired by the work of Dr Jack Saunders, Chief Medical Officer to Cork City, Ireland, from 1929 to 1956. Saunders’ annual reports give a unique insight into the challenges faced by a new cohort of public health doctors on … Continue reading
