Irish Women and the Vote ― Becoming Citizens

Irish Women and the Vote reveals the great momentum of the Irish suffrage movement from the mid-nineteenth to the mid-twentieth centuries, bringing women together of every age, class, and religious background. While there have been studies of some of the personalities and organisations involved in the fight for the vote in Ireland, this is the first time a collection of articles has been published on the subject. This ground-breaking collection provides a thorough examination of the movement from its very beginnings right up to the explosion of feminist militancy on city streets around the turn of the century. Fresh perspectives from Irish, British and American scholars on the work of evangelical philanthropists, unionist and nationalist suffragists, the realities of campaigning in country towns, life in industrial Belfast, conflicting feminist views on war and the suffragist uncovering of rampant sexual abuse and domestic violence. This title offers an exploration of documented articles on the impact of Ibsen on suffrage thinking, the use of humour as a weapon in the fight for the vote, the pioneering use of the hunger strike as a political tool, and the place of vegetarianism within suffrage ideology. This momentous collection provides readers with a multi-faceted analysis of the achievements, difficulties and legacy of the long campaign fought by Irish women for the right to equal citizenship. [Subject: Gender Studies, Irish Studies, History, Suffrage Movement]