Thesis

Diaspora nationalism, the Dundee-Irish, and the experiences of Irish republican women in Britain, c.1916-1966

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Awarding institution
  • University of Strathclyde
Date of award
  • 2024
Thesis identifier
  • T16869
Person Identifier (Local)
  • 201958446
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Qualification Name
Department, School or Faculty
Abstract
  • Between 1916 and 1923, Irish men and women rebelled against British colonial rule to establish an Irish Republic. The events of this period have been well documented by historians, however, for much of the twentieth century, historians failed to account for the role of women. The Decade of Centenaries has revived interest in this period and has resulted in a plethora of work on the role of women in revolutionary Ireland, however, the experiences of Irish women in Britain, who risked their livelihoods by joining a clandestine militant organisation in an enemy country, have not been sufficiently examined. This is despite the ample possibilities this group of women provides in using gendered and transnational frameworks to enrich historical understandings of revolutionary nationalism. This thesis investigates the political activism of these overlooked migrant women during the Irish revolutionary era. It uses the Dundee Irish as a window to explore gender and diasporic nationalism, using its unique gender profile and large Irish population to explore these themes in a local context. Rather than exploring this community in isolation, it investigates the networks these women created with other groups in Britain and Ireland. The life of the Dundee born, IRA member, Lena McDonald, which has been detailed richly in the Military Service Pension Collection, remains at the centre of this research, providing a window to explore wider themes. This includes the rise of Irish republicanism in Britain, the mental and physical impact of revolution, the treatment of female and diasporic revolutionaries by the Irish and British states, and the commemoration of the revolutionary period in Ireland and Britain. In this way, this research highlights how Irish migrant women can be used as a lens through which to explore the Irish revolutionary period and challenge traditional narratives on this period.
Advisor / supervisor
  • Whelehan, Niall
  • Delaney, Enda, 1971-
Resource Type
Note
  • This thesis was previously held under moratorium from 3rd April 2024 until 3rd April 2026.
DOI
Date Created
  • 2023

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