For a long time, Frances Nadeau was something of a mystery to the GMM Team. Thanks to her admission records, we knew that she was Irish-born from Co. Armagh, a Catholic, and a mother with a history of post-partum psychosis. She was a patient during Dr. Joseph Workman’s time in charge of the PLA, but … Continue reading Frances Mullen Nadeau
Archives
John Murphy
On 1 June 1869, John Murphy was admitted to the Rockwood Asylum for the Criminally Insane in Kingston, Ontario, as Patient #468. The massive limestone complex on the shore of Lake Ontario had been under construction since the autumn of 1859, built by gangs of convicts from nearby Kingston Penitentiary, and was completed a year … Continue reading John Murphy
Den(n)is McNamara
"In the summer of 1844, Dennis had become increasingly 'restless at night'."
Research Radar Redux – Gabrielle Machnik-Kekesi
People regularly ask me, “why Ireland?” I used to have all kinds of cheeky and, looking back on it, not-so-clever responses. Now I just say, “why not?”
There’s Something About Mary
It was supposed to be just another day at the library.
Research Radar Redux – Jane McGaughey
I might have sworn. Loudly. In Rare Books and Music. My bad.
Letitia Stephens
AO, RG 10 20-B-4, 1, Provincial Lunatic Asylum Register, "Letitia Stephens." We’re not exactly sure when Letitia Stephens arrived in the Canadas, but she certainly was part of the pre-Famine wave of Irish immigrants, likely crossing the Atlantic in either the 1820s or the 1830s. Her first committal papers at the Provincial Lunatic Asylum in … Continue reading Letitia Stephens
Research Radar – Peggy Regan
"Favourite form of procrastination?" "Another cup of tea."
Research Radar – Tim McMahon
"I don’t know that I could have finished my doctoral dissertation if it weren’t for periodic trips to the batting cage."
Research Radar – Jim MacPherson
"The great bell hooks was spot on when she talked about how her work focused on challenging the ‘imperialist white supremacist heteropatriarchy’ – and that’s a fine path to follow."
The “Limerick Girls”
"What is most disappointing here is that these harmful stereotypes are being communicated and perpetuated by the very people who are supposed to be welcoming and supporting the newly arrived emigrants."
Research Radar – Audrey Walshe
"I think it is important to remember that feeling overwhelmed is normal."
Research Radar – Martina Hynan
"We have the most innovative women artists here in Ireland, and I want to be part of bringing that rich history into the core of Irish Studies as a field."
Research Radar – Julie Guyot
"Even though there is no scientific proof to back me up, I have always found that listening to classical music heightens my receptivity and creativity."
The Brothers Douglas
"Sometimes, as a way to re-envision the lived reality of the people we write about, I play a little game..."
Research Radar – Darragh Gannon
"I have to have tea/coffee on hand when I’m writing. It serves as a useful coping mechanism for when words are not appearing during the creative process."
Research Radar – Aileen Ruane
"Everyone works on their conference papers right up till the day they present, especially on the voyage to the conference."
Prioritizing Propensities
"Invariably, I will ignore whatever outline I came up with earlier in the process."
Irish Studies x Food Studies
"Food is politics; knowledge of and access to it, and what constitutes 'healthy' or 'health-promoting' food, is a privilege beyond measure."
Research Radar – Carmen Mangion
"Pots of Darjeeling to keep me going. Also, lots of Cadbury milk chocolate. I have simple needs."
Game, Dataset, Match!
"So, what are we going to do with all those entries? How are we going to analyse them?"
Research Radar – Giselle Gonzalez Garcia
"I listen to music, go for a long walk, or binge-watch Outlander on Netflix."
Archival Love
"So, as a bit of Canadian Thanksgiving Weekend-filler, I thought I would make a completely subjective-and-not-at-all-scientific list..."
Reducing Costs or Occupational Therapy?
"Some patients who exhibited very bad behaviour or who were 'excessively filthy in their habits' were sent to 'the Basement'."
Research Radar – Zan Cammack
"I have a long-standing crush on the Abbey Theatre Digital Archive at National University of Ireland, Galway. That’s normal, right?"
“You-Know-Who”
"I don’t think anyone in our project deserves to be made into a Voldemort."
Research Radar – Molly-Claire Gillett
"PhD work can be lonely, and these tools helped me to combat that."
Research Radar – Gabrielle Machnik-Kekesi
"If I can avoid doing it on the computer, I do."
Archive Rituals
"[D]oing archival research in Cuba prepared me for a global pandemic."
Briefly, on Dual Pandemics and Archives of Feelings
"I see the materials with which the team has engaged...as a repository of feelings and emotions."
Gender, Migration, and Madness Research Project 