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HIS32540

Academic Year 2025/2026

Women, War and Irish Society 1914-1923 (HIS32540)

Subject:
History
College:
Arts & Humanities
School:
History
Level:
3 (Degree)
Credits:
10
Module Coordinator:
Assoc Professor Fionnuala Walsh
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

Through a focus on social history, this course examines the lives of women in Ireland during the First World War and the conflicts that engulfed Ireland in the five years afterwards. Covering the period from the outbreak of the First World War in 1914 to the civil war in the aftermath of the establishment of the Free State, the course examines the disruption caused by the 1916 Easter Rising, the displacement of communities caused by partition in 1920 and the everyday violence which characterised the War of Independence and Civil War. Central to the course is a ‘history from below’ perspective, moving away from a political history of war and revolution to focus on the ordinary everyday experience of war and revolution for women. Key themes include: gender; social class; history of everyday life; and commemoration. The module also examines topics such as mobilisation for the war effort; work and the labour movement; the role of women on the home front; social morality; health and welfare; and demobilisation. Although the focus is on Ireland, the module places these topics within the broader global social and cultural history of the First World War. Drawing on new and innovative scholarship on the World War and Irish revolution, the module reflects on the historiography of this tumultuous period. Students will be also be introduced to a wide selection of primary sources and will be encouraged to pursue their own archival research.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this module students should have:

a) an understanding of the main events and themes in the history of Ireland from 1914-1923
b) an understanding of how women's lives were affected by the First World War and Irish Revolution
c) an awareness of key concepts and methodologies that historians have used to approach the First World War and Irish Revolution;
d) developed skills in locating and analysing primary and secondary sources
e) Developed skills in oral communication and written analysis


Indicative Module Content:

This module will cover the following topics:


Week 1: Introduction: women in Ireland in 1914
Week 2: Mobilising for war at home
Week 3: Labour: contraction and opportunity
Week 4: Household management
Week 5: Social morality: soldiers, syphilis and war babies
Week 6: Witnesses to war: Ordinary life during the 1916 Rebellion
Week 7: Health and welfare in wartime
Week 8: Bereavement, demobilisation and family life
Week 9: Civilian experiences of violence
Week 10: Rebuilding lives and remembrance
Week 11: Conclusion


Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

11
Seminar (or Webinar)

22
Specified Learning Activities

95
Autonomous Student Learning

95
Total

223

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
This is a small-group, seminar-based module. It is typically taught through a one-hour weekly lecture and a two-hour seminar. The lecture provides an overview of the week’s topic, focusing upon key historical trends, debates and events. The weekly seminar is focused upon individual active / task-based learning by means of primary source analysis, discussion and student presentations. In some weeks the lecture or seminar may be replaced with a visit to UCD Library Special Collections or other relevant class activities.

Advanced research, writing and citation skills are developed through a combined individual student presentation on primary sources and written essay, and a semester-long research project. Autonomous learning is advanced through student-led discussion of set primary sources and / or student presentations each week.

Generative AI may not be used for assessments in this module. If you have any concerns about what is included in the remit of generative AI, please consult with your Module Coordinator.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Assignment(Including Essay): Students complete a research essay paper of c. 3,000 to 4,000 words, based on work undertaken over the semester. They will submit an essay plan and list of sources in advance. Week 9, Week 14 Graded No
50
 No
Participation in Learning Activities: Students will be graded on their participation in seminars. This is not based on attendance but rather active discussion and participation. Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11 Graded No
20
 No
Participation in Learning Activities: Student will give a 12-15 minute presentation on a theme relating to the seminars. A week later they submit a 1,200 word reflection on the presentation using the template provided. Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11 Graded No
30
 No

Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Written and oral feedback will be provided on an ongoing basis on the presentations and the preparatory plans for end-of-semester research project assignments. Feedback on the end-of-semester research project will be given via Brightspace. Students are welcome to meet with the module coordinator to discuss their assignments and progress in more detail by availing of office hours or by appointment in one-to-one meetings.

There is no single set text for the module, but the following texts will be useful:

Fionnuala Walsh, Irish women and the Great War (Cambridge, 2020).
Marie Coleman, The Irish Revolution 1916-1923 (London, 2014).
John Crowley et al. (eds.) Atlas of the Irish Revolution (Cork, 2017).
Diarmaid Ferriter, A Nation and not a Rabble: the Irish Revolution 1913-1923 (London: Profile Books, 2014).
Padraig Yeates. A city in wartime: Dublin 1914-1918 (Dublin, 2011).
Padraig Yeates, A city in turmoil: Dublin, 1919-1921 (Dublin, 2012).

A Guide to Further Reading is available on Brightspace. A list of useful websites and databases for your assignment research is also available on Brightspace

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Mon 11:00 - 11:50
Autumn Seminar Offering 1 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Tues 09:00 - 10:50
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