Manchester University Press Marital Violence in Post-Independence Ireland, 1922–96: 'A Living Tomb for Women'

This book represents the first comprehensive history of marital violence in modern Ireland, from the founding of the Irish Free State in 1922 to the passage of the Domestic Violence Act and the legalisation of divorce in 1996. Although interest in domestic violence has surged in recent decades, contemporary discussions remain incomplete without a historical understanding of the issue. Only by placing marital violence in its historical context can we begin to understand how Irish society currently responds to violence within the family. Based upon extensive research of under-used primary sources, including closed High Court files, this groundbreaking study sheds light on the attitudes, practices and laws surrounding marital violence in twentieth-century Ireland. While many men beat their wives with impunity throughout this period, victims of marital violence had little refuge for at least fifty years after independence. During a time when divorce was not accessible and most abused wives remained locked in violent marriages, this book explores the ways in which men, women, and children responded to marital violence. It raises important questions about women’s status within marriage and society, the nature of family life, and the changing ideals and lived realities of the modern marital experience in Ireland. This accessible study will appeal to both an academic and general audience, and it will be invaluable reading for anyone interested in the history of women and gender, the history of the family, and twentieth-century Irish social history.