Republican Feminism(s): Literature and Women’s History of the Northern Irish ‘Troubles’ Conflict

The final instalment in our BAIS postgraduate bursary prize winner series comes from Aimee Walsh (Liverpool John Moores University). Aimee utilised her bursary winnings to attend a writing retreat in the late stages of her PhD.

My PhD research examines the representation of republican women during the ‘Troubles’ conflict (1969 – 1998) within Irish historical narratives and literature. The research project contributes to the field of Irish Studies by exploring the representations and history of republican women during the conflict with an emphasised urgency to shift forms and expressions of masculinised republicanism in the north to a new paradigm of republicanism.

At present, very few academics have examined modern republican feminism in the north of Ireland; the works of Margaret Ward, Theresa O’Keeffe and Claire Hackett have been pertinent in the development of my thesis. My thesis adds to this scholarship by examining how republicanism and feminism interacted with one another, particularly during the period of 1975 – when the republican feminist magazine network was launched and the Armagh Gaol political prisoners began their bodily protests – through to the perceived end of the conflict in 1998 with the signing of the Good Friday Agreement.

The generosity of the British Association for Irish Studies bursary enabled me to attend a thesis writing ‘boot-camp’ at the Gladstone’s Library in Hawarden, Wales. The environment allowed me to focus completely on thesis writing (social media-distraction free and complete with an abundance of chocolate chip shortbread and tea!) Fuelled with biscuits and caffeine and in an idyllic Grade 1 listed building, I was able to get the creative juices flowing.

 

I used the time at the thesis writing retreat to draft the final chapter of my thesis on representations of republican women in literature concerning the ‘Troubles’, from documentary to fiction. This chapter built upon the archival research trips and notes I had collated alongside secondary reading to produce a chapter which explores the intersections of Irish republicanism and feminism.

This chapter drew upon previously undertaken archival research trips to Queen’s University Belfast’s Prison Memory Archive, the Women Against Imperialism holdings at the British Library, and extensive work on the political collections held at Linenhall Library, Belfast.

It cannot be overstated that, due to the contribution of the British Association for Irish Studies, I have been able to produce a full draft of my thesis on schedule for submission in 2020. For this, and support through events such as the Job Bootcamp at University of Liverpool, I wish to extend my thanks to the BAIS Council and their commitment to supporting PhDs and ECRs.

Aimee Walsh is a final stage PhD candidate in Irish Literature and Cultural History at Liverpool John Moores University and holds a Masters degree from Queen’s University Belfast. Her project Republican Feminism(s): Literature and Women’s History of the Northern Irish ‘Troubles’ Conflict won a full Vice-Chancellor’s Award PhD Scholarship (2016 –2019).