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Thomas Carey (History major)
"'Nor Meekly Serve My Time': Irish Political Prisoners and the Struggle for Legitimacy within the Penal Systems of the United Kingdom and Ireland, 1916-1946"
Sponsor: James Vernon, History
Project Description
In political struggle, establishing the legitimacy of a cause is the key to founding and maintaining popular support. How then, do political prisoners labeled as "criminals" and "terrorists" by the governments they oppose proceed to gain a semblance of legitimacy? With this question in mind, Thomas will examine the condition of Irish political prisoners within the context of the modern British and Irish penal systems. He will trace the evolution of governmental and institutional policies, aimed at containing Nationalist combatants and suspected sympathizers, which exploited modes of extralegal incarceration. In addition, he will examine responses by prisoners who engaged in acts of protest --both to improve their material conditions and as propaganda to further the Nationalist cause -- as part of a coercive dialogue between themselves and the state.
Scholar's Photo
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Thom posing with "The Auld Triangle" of Mountjoy Prison in Dublin, which was immortalized by former political prisoner, Brendan Behan in the play "The Quare Fellow". |
Scholar,s Journal
8 June, 2009
I am in finally in Dublin. I arrived yesterday morning and caught a shuttle from the airport to an area south of the city known as Belfield. This is where University College Dublin is located and where I will be lodging for the first leg of my research. I quickly checked into my room and immediately went to sleep until this morning.
Today I discovered one of the hazards of archival research-- inaccessibility. Due to the recent budget cuts there is no longer a full-time archivist at Kilmainham Jail and I won't be able to utilize their collection even with the authorization letter I've already received. A little disgruntled and still very jet-lagged, I took a taxicab to the National Library, where I used my professor's letter of support to procure a researcher's access card to the manuscript repository. Afterwards I made my way back to my room to salvage the portion of my research which will be affected by the Kilmainham archive setback. I made a few calls and gained permission to access the Irish Film Archive and to view items held in the Allen Library which relate to the Easter Rising of 1916. These should help supplement the pieces I will be missing out on. I've learned an important research lesson today. Always be prepared to alter your research plan and never be overly dependent upon any single source for your data collection. Flexibility is the key. I can't wait to return to the National Library tomorrow and begin my work in earnest!
23 June, 2009
I'm now in England. I flew into Heathrow and caught the London Underground to Kew, a few miles to the southwest of London, where I've rented an attic room from a wonderful woman who takes in researchers visiting the National Archives (UK), located only a few minutes walk away. It might take some time getting used to the room as I am a few inches taller than the highest point of the ceiling. But I think that this adds to the Bohemian charm of the place.
I went to the archives yesterday and filled out the forms required to access the manuscripts and government files that I will be using. This process has become routine to me by now, as I've already worked at a half dozen archives in Ireland. With that said however, I stand in awe of the efficiency of this place. I can order any file and have full access to it within thirty minutes. I am also amazed at the diversity of the researchers to be found here. I sit shoulder to shoulder with busy graduate students, independent researchers, amateur genealogists, and university professors. I actually recognize some of these professors from my own personal research into graduate programs both here and in the United States. I am equal parts nervous and proud to be sharing space with everyone around me. I'm energized and excited by what I may uncover. I am ready to begin!
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