Reconsidering "Active Service" during the Irish Revolution

Thursday, April 14, 2022 - 18:00 to 19:00
John Hume Lecture Theatre 2, North Campus, & online

Together with MU Department of History we welcome Dr. Justin Dolan Stover of Idaho State University for his MUSSI Fellowship Seminar on Reconsidering "Active Service" during the Irish Revolution

Abstract
Those outside the immediate dynamics of interpersonal violence during the Irish Revolution could nevertheless be said to have participated in important ways. Hundreds of instances of ambush, assassination, and reprisal throughout the Irish War of Independence (1919-21) and Civil War (1922-23) demonstrated that involvement was, in fact, often non-negotiable. That is, detachment proved difficult in an atmosphere in which both the I.R.A. and British forces pressed non-combatants to support or suppress the republican movement. As a result, many civilians experienced intimidation, curfew and bans on public markets and restricted access to public space, while others lost their homes, property, and businesses through disciplinary destruction. In this context, revolutionary activity often dislocated people from their previously lived experiences. This paper discusses the varieties of participation during the Irish Revolution, and the diversity of ways individuals navigated this formative period.

The MUSSI Fellowship Scheme began in the 2019/2020 academic year and was designed to enhance the research community of the University by fostering collaboration between Maynooth University Social Sciences Institute Visiting Fellows and academic staff at Maynooth University. Fellowship recipients have the opportunity to engage with a vibrant research culture in the Institute (see www.maynoothuniversity/mussi ) and across the wider university, Dublin city area and the region.

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