“Guilt, Shame, Acknowledgment and Redress: Some Reflections on Ireland's Institutional Treatment of Women and Children”
Dr Catriona Crowe
About the Lecture: Dr Catriona Crowe will explore Ireland’s recent history of unprecedented disclosures relating to the country’s treatment of vulnerable women and children, across a unique archipelago of institutions – mother and baby homes, Magdalen asylums, industrial schools and reformatories. These institutions were largely run by the Catholic Church and the Church of Ireland, with the state’s full blessing, and what the country discovered about the treatment received by their inmates was shocking; physical, emotional and sexual abuse were found to be common, with consequential life-changing results for the victims. The lecture asks how Ireland should now approach the question of acknowledgement and redress?
About the Dean's Lecture: this is the third annual Dean's Lecture, an event organised by the Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Celtic Studies and Philosophy and the Faculty’s Research Committee. It aims to showcase the contribution humanities scholarship can have on society and culture, and to bring together colleagues and students from across the University. Former speakers include Professor Jacqueline Rose (2015) and Professor Sidonie Smith (2016).
For further information, contact deans.office@mu.ie