SESSION 2

Authority & Intimacy

How the Nation Entered the Family

In this session we explore:

• Colonial gender coding and the feminisation of Ireland
• Nationalist movements and the re-masculinisation of authority
• The constitutional ideal of domestic femininity
• How moral order polices deviation within family and community life

We also look at earlier Irish mythology, where representations of masculinity and femininity were often more fluid and complex than the later moral systems that came to define them.

Understanding this shift helps reveal how national identity and family life became deeply intertwined in Ireland.

If this inquiry speaks to something in your own history, we invite you to join us.*

*If the cost is a barrier but the inquiry speaks to you, please contact us. We are open to exploring payment plans or other arrangements.