Mountjoy prison and female prisoners of the Free State

As part of the Trinity Talks: Dublin’s Hidden Histories series, a new collaboration between the Trinity Long Room Hub and Near FM.

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The women who ended up in prison in the early years of the Free State were there for murder and infanticide, and theft, soliciting, drunkenness and non-payment of fines, but who were they and what were their stories? In this episode we explore the stories of women committed to prison as ordinary prisoners during the life of the Free State (1922-1937).

The female prisoner's experience of incarceration is examined alongside that of political women who were interned during the civil war. Ciarán Murray, Near FM will speak to Dr Susan Byrne, School of Histories and Humanities, on four female prisoner’s experiences, and this will provide some compelling insight into women's lived experience of the new state in the 1920s and 1930s and how that experience shaped their interaction with the justice system.

Dr Susan Byrne completed her PhD in 2024 and her research, which was funded by the IRC, examined female prisoners’ experience of the Free State justice system, 1922-1947. She is currently a Research Fellow on a Trinity College Dublin project titled ‘Witnessing War, Making Peace’ which is led by Dr Anne Dolan. Dr Byrne is also a member of the Network for the Study of Resilient Women.
This talk will be subsequently broadcast on Near FM. You can listen to Near FM online www.nearfm.ie/livestream or on 90.3FM.
Performances by An Góilín Traditional Singing Club.

These events and subsequent radio series are supported by Coimisiún na Meán with the Television licence fee.

Please let us know if you have any access requirements, such as ISL/English interpreting, so that we can facilitate you in attending this event. Contact: tlrh@tcd.ie