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HIS32540

Academic Year 2026/2027

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:
Spring
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: Health and welfare in wartime
Week 7: Witnesses to war: Ordinary life during the 1916 Rebellion
Week 8: Re-mobilisation and politicisation
Week 9: Civilian experiences of violence
Week 10: Bereavement, demobilisation and post-conflict family life
Week 11: Conclusion: Rebuilding lives and remembrance


UNESCO highlights a set of key competencies that support individuals in their development and support society in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UCD has adapted these competencies and is combining them with others to form a general framework of learning competencies. This module will help you develop the competencies below to the levels specified. 
Learning Competency Additional Information Level

Collaboration

 The ability to learn from others; to understand and respect the needs, perspectives and actions of others (empathy); to understand, relate to and be sensitive to others (empathic leadership); to deal with conflicts in a group; and to facilitate collaborative and participatory problem solving. Competent

Critical Thinking

 The ability to question norms, practices and opinions; to reflect on one’s own values, perceptions and actions. Competent

Systems Thinking

 The ability to recognize and understand relationships; to analyse complex systems; to think of how systems are embedded within different domains and different scales; and to deal with uncertainty. Advanced Beginner

Strategic

 The ability to collectively develop and implement innovative actions that further sustainability at the local level and further afield. Advanced Beginner

Integrated Problem Solving

 The overarching ability to apply different problem-solving frameworks to complex sustainability problems and develop viable, inclusive and equitable solution options that promote sustainable development, integrating the competencies in this list. Advanced Beginner

Self-awareness

 The ability to reflect on one’s own role in the local community and (global) society; to continually evaluate and further motivate one’s actions; and to deal with one’s feelings and desires. Competent

Normative

 The ability to understand and reflect on the norms and values that underlie one’s actions; and to negotiate values, principles, goals, and targets, in a context of conflicts of interest and trade-offs, uncertain knowledge and contradictions. Competent

Anticipatory

 The ability to understand and evaluate multiple scenarios for the future – possible, probable and desirable; to create one’s own visions for the future; to apply the precautionary principle; to assess the consequences of actions; and to deal with risks and changes. Advanced Beginner

Digital Literacy and Judgement

 The ability to access, evaluate, create and communicate information in digital environments; to engage critically, ethically and responsibly with digital technologies and digital information; to understand their opportunities, limitations, risks and impact on individual’s digital identities; and to exercise informed judgement in digital participation and decision-making. Competent

AI Literacy & Agency

 The ability to understand, critically evaluate and responsibly engage with artificial intelligence; to recognise how AI systems are shaped by human values; to assess their ethical, social and environmental implications; and to exercise human judgement, agency and accountability in AI-related contexts. Competent

Wellbeing

 Wellbeing is having the resources and skills to meet life's challenges, including attributes such as personal development skills, resilience, stress management, strengths, lifestyle skills, nutrition, physical activity, sleep, alcohol/substance use, academic skills, time management, goal setting, interpersonal skills, group work, communication. Competent

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


Goal Name Description Coverage

Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all 1

Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls 1

Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels 1
 

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.

A proportion of written assignments in each module in the School of History are subject to moderation, meaning they undergo a second layer of review by another grader. This can include oral moderation meetings where the student is invited in for a short meeting with the module coordinator to discuss the assignment. Moderation contributes to better informed marking.

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 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: Students will give a 12-15 minute presentation in one of the weekly seminars. A week later they submit a 1,200 word reflection on it using the template provided. Week 12 Graded No
30
 No

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Autumn 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.
Spring Seminar Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Thurs 09:00 - 10:50
Spring Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Wed 12:00 - 12:50
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