Trauma and Irish Female Migration through Literature and Ethnography

Abstract

Irish migration has been predominantly female, despite its underrepresentation in popular imagery and reports. Although this phenomenon has been documented in manuscript material, interviews and audio records, the study and interpretation of this massive and extended experience has been neglected for long. This oblivion contrasts with the success of contemporary works of fiction that re-create past experiences of female migration. This chapter delves into ethnographic and literary life narratives of diaspora. Using theories of trauma associated with mobility, the strategies displayed by their protagonists and society are analysed, and results indicate that Irish female migration has been a traumatic experience that still needs to find closure in the Irish psyche.