Podcast Summary

New Books Network:

Episode: Linda Connolly and Tina O’Toole, "Documenting Irish Feminisms: The Second Wave" (February 8, 2026)

Episode Overview

This episode of New Books in Irish Studies, hosted by Aidan Beatty, features scholars Linda Connolly and Tina O’Toole discussing their influential book, Documenting Irish Feminisms: The Second Wave. Connolly and O'Toole delve into the origins, methodology, and lasting significance of their work, which recovers and presents primary documents from Ireland’s second wave feminist movement. The conversation explores the evolution of feminist scholarship in Ireland, the social and political context of the second wave, the intersections of class, sexuality, and migration, and the ongoing challenges and successes in integrating feminist studies into the academic canon.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Origins and Purpose of the Book

Timestamps: 00:55–08:37

• Research Origins: The book stems from the Irish Women’s Movement Project at University College Cork’s Sociology Department, beginning in the late 1990s.
• Motivation: Connolly and O’Toole aimed to challenge assumptions about the lack of evidence or documentation for Irish feminist activism, providing accessible archival resources for future scholarship.
• Collaborative Roots: The project brought together academics from different fields—sociology, literary studies, applied social studies—to recover primary sources and make them accessible.

“The ambition was to publish some of the content of [Roisin Conroy’s] archive in this book so that the future generations would have access to the archive of the Irish women's movement.”
—Linda Connolly [05:12]

• Influence of Mentors: Inspired by pioneering historians like Margaret McCurtain and Mary Cullen, the project emphasized recovery of neglected voices and documents.
• Early Resistance: At the time, feminist analysis was less accepted in Irish academia, making the work both challenging and pioneering.

2. Project Structure and Methodology

Timestamps: 08:37–15:09

• Book Format: The book combines secondary analysis with collections of primary documents, adapting a “multimodal” and “multidisciplinary” approach.
• Pedagogical Aim: Designed to be classroom-friendly and a practical resource for educators and students—“not a dusty monograph.”
• Digital Humanities: The team leveraged early digital tools (scanners, archives) to enhance accessibility and preservation, predating modern digital scholarship.

“We wanted a book that wouldn’t be a kind of dusty monograph that would be of use in the classroom.”
—Tina O’Toole [09:58]

• Content Areas: While much material was available on topics like reproductive rights, other areas such as Northern Ireland and class required more recovery work.
• Visual Documentation: Photographers and graphic designers contributed to the accessible and visually engaging presentation of the book.

3. Negotiating Between Activism and Academia

Timestamps: 15:09–21:50

• Personal Connection: Both authors have activist backgrounds and faced complexities negotiating between participant and analyst roles.
• Archival Sensitivities: Some communities, particularly LGBTQ+ activists, were wary of how archived materials would be used or perceived.

“A lot of the people I was talking to about using that material were very uncomfortable with some [of it] going into the public domain...”
—Tina O’Toole [15:54]

• Class and Representation: Concerns existed about middle-class academics representing the experiences of more marginalized communities.

4. The Second Wave in Context: Irish and International Dimensions

Timestamps: 21:50–30:29

• Timing and Influence: Second wave feminism in Ireland peaked slightly later (primarily the 1980s) due to the entrenched influence of Catholicism and conservative norms.
• Social Stigma: Public activism involved significant personal risk and potential for ostracism, especially in a small, closely-knit society.

“To talk openly about matters of sexuality or matters of fertility really wasn’t… It wouldn’t have been countenanced.”
—Tina O’Toole [23:21]

• International Exchange: Irish feminism drew on American and British feminist theory and activism, as well as European (EEC) legal developments.
• Radical Methods: Techniques such as consciousness-raising groups were crucial, yet particularly radical within the Irish social context.

5. Changes Since the Second Wave: Intersectionality, Migration, and Social Change

Timestamps: 31:28–42:31

• Intersectionality: The term itself was absent in early work but is now central to contemporary analysis, especially considering Ireland's increased migration and diversity.
• Emigration/Immigration: Earlier periods were marked by Irish women leaving due to restrictive norms; recently, inward migration and second-generation migrants are reshaping feminism.

“Migration… would be a much bigger part of anything I would write now.”
—Tina O’Toole [32:20]

• Social Issues Unacknowledged: The legacy of mother and baby homes and other institutional abuses are now recognized as central feminist issues, but at the time were underdiscussed.

6. Pedagogy, Canon, and The Future of Irish Feminist Studies

Timestamps: 44:05–55:23

• Academic Acceptance: Gender and women’s studies have become increasingly mainstream in Irish universities, with more students pursuing related research.
• Resource Approach: The book’s primary significance is as a “resource” for future study, rather than a definitive or theoretical monograph.
• Barriers and Progress: Despite advancements, traditional academic structures (the “canon”) remain resilient, and the integration of feminist and other marginal approaches is ongoing.

“I see the book primarily as a resource and deliberately designed… to capture available documents, record key events, [and] provide analysis, while leading to other pathways in the future.”
—Linda Connolly [46:22]

• Personal Reflection: Both scholars note their own experiences with marginality in academia and the influence of their biographical backgrounds on their work.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Feminist Recovery:
  “The kinds of assumptions, I suppose, we wanted to challenge... It was more about recovering the sources that we knew were there but weren't accessible.”
  —Linda Connolly [03:21]

• On Irish Context:
  “To be in Ireland, which is a small place where everybody knows everybody else and where there's only one national media channel, you're doing it very much in the glare of all of your family and neighbors.”
  —Tina O'Toole [24:21]

• On Intersectionality and Migration:
  “If you were to write this book today… Ireland doesn’t just go from being a very Catholic society to a nominally non-Catholic society, it also goes from being an almost exclusively white society to a much more racially diverse society.”
  —Aidan Beatty [31:28]

• On the Book’s Legacy:
  “This might be a slightly insulting thing to say, but it's perhaps also a historic document in its own right.”
  —Aidan Beatty [55:50]
  “Absolutely.”
  —Linda Connolly [55:51]

Important Segment Timestamps

• 00:55 – Book origins and recovery of feminist sources
• 09:01 – Methodology: structure and classroom use
• 15:35 – Activist/academic negotiations and issues of representation
• 22:17 – Irish second wave feminism: timing and context vs. UK/US
• 32:15 – Reflections on migration, intersectionality, and social change
• 44:05 – Has women's and gender studies secured its academic place?
• 55:23 – The book as an archival resource and catalyst for ongoing debates

Final Thoughts

The episode provides an insightful reflection on how Documenting Irish Feminisms sought—and continues—to challenge academic norms, recover marginalized voices, and offer a legacy resource for future researchers. Connolly and O’Toole’s conversation illustrates both the progress and the persistent barriers in feminist scholarship, emphasizing ongoing debates, the necessity of accessible archives, and the importance of intersectionality in modern Irish society.

The episode closes with mutual appreciation for the impact of the book not only as a scholarly resource but as a living historical document that continues to inspire research, teaching, and activism.