Myth of Catholic Ireland: Unmarried Motherhood
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THE MYTH OF CATHOLIC IRELAND: UNMARRIED MOTHERHOOD INFANTICIDE AND ILLEGITIMACY IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY by Moira Jean Maguire submitted to the Faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences of the American University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History Chair: omerfordce Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Date 2000 American University Washington, D.C. 20016 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number 9983667 Copyright 2000 by Maguire, Moira Jean All rights reserved. _ __ UMI UMI Microform9983667 Copyright 2000 by Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. © COPYRIGHT by MOIRA JEAN MAGUIRE 2000 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. THE MYTH OF CATHOLIC IRELAND: UNMARRIED MOTHERHOOD, INFANTICIDE, AND ILLEGITIMACY IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY BY Moira Jean Maguire ABSTRACT This dissertation argues, through an analysis of official discourses and popular experiences of two groups of social “outcasts''— unmarried mothers and illegitimate and neglected children - that the links between Catholicism and individual and collective behavior are not as simplistic or clear-cut as existing scholarship would suggest. The records of infanticide cases, and the ways that families and communities treated unmarried mothers and vulnerable children, indicates that at least in some circumstances women and men made decisions about their own moral and sexual behaviors, and evaluated their responsibility and loyalty to others, based on a variety of factors, and law and Catholic teaching were not always paramount. In its examination of attitudes toward, treatment, and experiences of infanticide and unmarried motherhood, and of the care provided by the state to illegitimate and vulnerable children, this dissertation seeks to disentangle the complex interactions between and among church, state, and society in elaborating the values, priorities, behaviors, and attitudes that defined the independent Irish state. Individuals and agencies of church and state attempted to enforce codes of maternity, childhood, and family life to suit the political and social agendas of the fledgling state, and they adopted a variety of coercive and indeed carcerai methods to exact conformity. Given Ireland’s historical reputation as a repressed and hyper-Catholic state, and the enduring impression even among those who lived in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s that sex simply “did not exist” in Ireland until the 1960s, it would be easy to assume that church and state were ii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. successful in their efforts. But historians must be careful not to interpret popular attitudes, values, and priorities only in the context of official agendas and expectations. Ordinary women and men had experiences, values, and priorities that occasionally conflicted with official demands, and these conflicts are most evident where matters of sexuality and morality are concerned. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS A number of people have been instrumental in completing this dissertation. Vanessa Schwartz nurtured this work from a graduate seminar paper to its current incantation. She challenges me to challenge myself, and my work, and my development as a historian, would be very different without her input. I thank her most sincerely for all of her advice, support, and encouragement over the years. Heartfelt thanks are also due to Eileen Findlay for her input on the dissertation, and for her wisdom and warmth in everything else. The Department of History at American University has supported me in a variety of ways over the years, and I am most appreciative of that support, and of the encouragement, assistance, and friendship that I have received from faculty, staff, and fellow graduate students. In particular I thank Erick Nawrocki for all of his help in the final stages of the dissertation process. Vincent Comerford welcomed me into the intellectual community of the Department of Modem History, National University of Ireland, Maynooth, and offered astute and insightful feedback on the dissertation. He was unstintingly kind, generous, and helpful during my four years in Ireland, for which I am grateful beyond words. Gail Savage and Liz Sheehan helped me to formulate a dissertation proposal and provided guidance in the early stages of research. I thank them for their help and interest at that crucial time. The process of researching and writing a dissertation can be alienating, isolating, and extremely lonely, and only those who have been through it can fully understand the roller coaster ride that it can be. Only with the support of family and friends have I managed to maintain my sanity and survive the rough patches. My parents, Patricia and Dexter Merry, have been a steady and unflagging source of moral and material support and never once asked when I was iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. going to grow up and get a real life. Their love and support mean more to me than they know. Liz Stewart and Marie Wallace have been good friends, cheerleaders, therapists, shoulders to cry on. Their friendship and support kept me going when I didn't think it was possible. Ann Matthews' friendship, warmth, generosity, and encyclopaedic knowledge never cease to amaze me. She has given me an insight into the Irish psyche without which my work would have been very different. Thanks are also due to the staffs of archives and libraries in Ireland. Catriona Crowe of the National Archives of Ireland has been extremely helpful, and without her knowledge and expertise I might have overlooked some very important material. David Sheehy of the Dublin Diocesan Archives dug out Archbishop McQuaid’s adoption policy files and cleared a bit of desk space so that I could peruse them at my leisure. Thanks also to the friendly and helpful staff of the National Library of Ireland. Finally, this dissertation is dedicated to the memory of Janet Oppenheim. Jan died while the dissertation was still in the proposal stage but she remained a source of inspiration throughout. She will always embody for me what it means to be a mentor, scholar, and teacher. I only hope this dissertation is worthy of her. v Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...................................................................................................... iv LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................................... vii INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 1. SOCIAL OUTCASTS 1: UNMARRIED MOTHERS .................................... 42 2. CRIMINAL, SINNER, OR VICTIM? LEGISLATIVE AND JUDICIAL RESPONSES TO INFANTICIDE ................................................................. 91 3. DESPERATE ACT OR WILLFUL CHOICE? INFANTICIDE AND UNWANTED PREGNANCY .......................................................................... 126 4. SOCIAL OUTCASTS 2: ILLEGITIMATE AND NEGLECTED CHILDREN 161 EPILOGUE: THE CHANGING FACE OF CATHOLIC