Mere Bagatelles - Trinity Arts & Humanities Research Festival

Women's Diaries from C18th Ireland with Amy Prendergast (School of English) & Micro-history and the writing of difficult histories with Professor of Modern History Lindsey Earner-Byrne (School of Histories and Humanities).

Women's Diaries from C18th Ireland with Amy Prendergast (School of English)
Were eighteenth-century diaries really private? Exploring overlooked diaries by women in Ireland, this talk will shed light on the contents of these daily entries, and consider the diarists’ strategies for either attracting or avoiding an audience. It will argue that these ‘bagatelles’ should be treated as literary works and will celebrate them as highlighting the literary capabilities of women and girls in Ireland between 1760 and 1810.

Micro-history and the writing of difficult histories with Lindsey Earner-Byrne (School of Histories and Humanities)
Attendees should be aware that this paper deals with sexual violence and rape.
How do we write difficult histories? What is the historian’s role and what methodologies or practices are appropriate? This talk considers not just the sources and approach but the ethics of doing such histories. It delves into one particular case of a rape during the Irish Civil War (1922-23), arguing that micro-history offers a way of exploring the history of sexual violence which respects both its unique and universal aspects.

Please register for the event here.

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