Threatening Women: A Cultural History of Why Ireland Shamed and Contained Women

Why did Ireland contain more women in Mother and Baby Homes in the twentieth century than any other country in the world? Why did Ireland so relentlessly monitor, shame, and punish women who stepped outside its strict moral codes?

Traversing a vast epoch of time, from the medieval to the mid-twentieth century, Threatening Women delves into the cultural history behind Ireland's shaming and containing of 'disobedient, ' 'deviant' and 'transgressive' women.

This groundbreaking book connects Ireland's historical experiences of collective threat-colonisation, famine, war and upheaval-to the creation of a tight culture, one defined by rigid norms and strict enforcement. In such a society, women were seen as dangerous disruptors of moral and social order, their behaviour intensely monitored and harshly punished. From the stigmatisation of unmarried mothers to those who defied sexual or social expectations, these patterns reveal how deeply fear and threat shaped Irish culture and the lives of women.

Accessible, thought-provoking, and deeply relevant, Threatening Women offers a powerful new perspective on Ireland's past and its impact on women. A must-read for anyone seeking to understand the intersections of gender, culture, and history in Ireland-and why it matters today.