Women Religious and the Northern Irish Troubles

An in-person talk by Drs Dianne Kirby and Briege Rafferty.

Dianne Kirby and Briege Rafferty will relate how and why they brought together religious women peace-builders in a series of oral history witness seminars to discuss their experiences of the Northern Ireland conflict. The project began in 2015. It quickly established that religious women were involved in many modes of activism working alongside a range of other community activists and professionals in the working-class communities that bore the brunt of the ‘Troubles’. Over time the project uncovered how, reflecting gospel imperatives to help, indeed love, society’s most marginalised, religious women became party to personal, societal and political reconciliation, proving effective peacebuilders at all levels. Nonetheless, the importance of their work and their significant contributions to securing a ‘positive’ peace had been erased from Troubles’ history, an omission the project is seeking to rectify. Briege will focus on the extensive contributions of Catholic sisters. Dianne will discuss the involvement of religious women in ‘back-channel’ secret talks. Both will address the obstacles confronting the project and the resistance to its research findings.

The talk is held in the Aula at Blackfriars Hall and live streamed simultaneously. For the live stream registration is required.

 

Venue: Blackfriars Hall - St Giles Oxford, OX1 3LY United Kingdom Array ( [lat] => 51.756248 [lng] => -1.259881 )

Contact:
Las Casas Institute
lascasas@bfriars.ox.ac.uk