Families, Vulnerability and Sexual Violence During the Irish Revolution

Abstract

During the Irish Revolution, individuals increasingly recognised that joining nationalist groups, membership of the Sinn Féin political party, interest in Irish language revival, or active (or suspected) service in the IRA implicated others. These considerations were not merely peripheral; anxiety over the safety of non-combatants within one’s family and community and a desire to reduce collateral damage are frequent and central themes of the independence narrative. Such anxiety could also be placed within the context of fatherly concern more broadly. Moreover, as terror became a common feature of the conflict throughout 1920, so too did the fear of sexual violence. This chapter explores the experiences of parents and their children, women and the violation of bodies and intimate space, and the vulnerability and emotional anxiety experienced during this turbulent period.