Events

In this presentation, Catherine Healy explores the experiences of Irish women who emigrated in the decades following the Great Famine and found work in domestic service – one of the most common occupations open to them.
In the United States, Irish women made up a significant proportion of the cooks, maids and children's nurses employed by middle-class families. While popular culture often ridiculed the stereotypical Irish servant, ‘Bridget’, the reality was much more complex.
Catherine examines the relationships these women developed with their employers, how they navigated the inequalities and power dynamics of domestic service, and the subtle ways in which they asserted their independence and resisted authority. Particular attention is given to the experiences of emigrant women from Ulster.
Booking advisable

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