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    The mocking of Margaret and the misfortune of Mary: sexual violence in Irish History, 1830s to the 1890s

    Bourke, Joanna (2020) The mocking of Margaret and the misfortune of Mary: sexual violence in Irish History, 1830s to the 1890s. Canadian Journal of Irish Studies/Revue canadienne d’études irlandaises 43 , pp. 16-36. ISSN 0703-1459.

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    Abstract

    Sexual violence in Ireland remains a neglected topic of analysis. This article uses newspaper accounts and court records to explore the rape in nineteenth century Ireland. It explores the impact of family formation, complaints about false accusations, the attitudes of the courts, the language used by victims to express their suffering (especially the concept of “insensibility”), the social nature of sexual attacks, and the role of emigration. It suggests that an exploration of sexual violence in Ireland reveals a great deal about social morés, including what made people laugh. The article concludes by suggesting that some Irish women were able to protest against their treatment in the courts.

    Metadata

    Item Type: Article
    School: Birkbeck Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences > School of Historical Studies
    Depositing User: Joanna Bourke
    Date Deposited: 15 Jan 2020 10:20
    Last Modified: 02 Aug 2023 17:56
    URI: https://eprints.bbk.ac.uk/id/eprint/30594

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