But one distinctive aspect of Irish emigration was singled out as being of particular concern: ‘male emigration is not so serious … What is serious is the emigration of the young girls. While the discussion was framed by the socio-economic causes and consequences of emigration, the focus on Irish women as a critical demographic was revealing. The emigration of young Irish women to post-war Britain a major concern for the Irish embassy in London, as illustrated by this 1952 letter signed by Ambassador Frederick Boland. Might the emigration of a pregnant Irish women be linked to a desire to escape the judgment of a society that would assume that she was a ‘bad girl’ in the first place? Might the emigration of a pregnant Irish women be linked to a desire to escape the judgment of a society that would assume that she was a ‘bad girl’ in the first place?

Source: The Irish Times September 14, 2020 04:38 UTC