'Lived citizenship', women's grassroots activism and cross-border solidarity: the Irish Countrywomen's Association (ICA) and the Federation of Women's Institutes of Northern Ireland (WINI), 1950s-1980s

A lecture by Prof Caitriona Beaumont (LSBU) as part of the Modern and Contemporary Irish History Seminar Series.

Caitríona Beaumont is Professor Emerita at London South Bank University, a Visiting Full Professor at University College Dublin and a Visiting Researcher at the University of Turku, Finland. She works on the history of women's organisations, women's movements, female activism and protest across twentieth century Ireland and Britain. She publishes regularly on these themes including her first book Housewives and Citizens: Domesticity and the Women's Movement in England, 1928-1964 (MUP, 2013) and her latest book, a co-edited collection (with Eve Colpus and Ruth Davidson), Everyday Welfare in Modern British History: experience, expertise and activism (Palgrave, 2025). Recent articles include 'Irish Housewives: everyday experiences, unpaid domestic work and intergenerational women's activism, c. 1968-1975' in Saothar 50 (2025). She was Principal Investigator of the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council funded project Women’s Grassroots Activism (2023-2025) https://learn.lsbu.ac.uk/womens-grassroots-activism-toolkit. She is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society and was an elected council member and trustee of the Society (2022-2025). Caitríona is currently working on a number of projects including histories of environmental activism within the National Federation of Women's Institutes and 'Women and Lived Citizenship: transnational networks of solidarity, resistance and citizenship engagement, Europe 1918 to the present'. 

The Modern and Contemporary Irish History Seminar Series will take place at 2p.m. on Wednesday in the Trinity Long Room Hub Arts & Humanities Research Institute. It provides a forum for discussion and dissemination of new ideas, perspectives, and research on Irish history, Irish Studies and cognate disciplines. All are welcome. We particularly welcome members of the postgraduate community. Convenors: Dr Carole Holohan, Dr Georgina Laragy, Prof Lindsey Earner-Byrne, Dr Ciaran O'Neill and Dr Brian Hanley. 

This event is run in accordance with Trinity’s Dignity and Respect policy, and its commitment to nurturing a respectful and inclusive research culture.
Please indicate if you have any access requirements, such as ISL/English interpreting, so that we can facilitate you in attending this event. Contact: lindsey.earner@tcd.ie