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    Interview with Dorothy Duffy in Twickenham, England recorded on 08.05.2018.

    Cite as: Beecher, Ruth (2020): Interview with Dorothy Duffy in Twickenham, England recorded on 08.05.2018. Birkbeck College, University of London. doi: https://doi.org/10.18743/DATA.00078

    Description

    Emily Moss interviewed her mother, Dorothy Duffy. Dorothy’s interview tells a story of growing up as the youngest of 10 children in a West of Ireland family where the experience of love, loyalty and fun were set against the backdrop of significant family dysfunction and conflict with her father. This is underscored with rich commentary on the impact and prevalence more broadly of the restrictive and oppressive influences of the catholic church. There is reference to an experience of child sexual abuse from outside the family and protection from within, as well as physical abuse both at home and at school. Education and academic achievement gets particular prominence. What is described as a liberating move from Ireland to London in the late 70s includes some critical reflection on the attitudes of the time to being Irish in England. Further travel includes time spent in Australia and New Zealand. Her early ambition for and success in nursing, alongside Dorothy’s love and talent for theatre are strong themes as are settling in London and ‘growing’ a family. Additional note: During the Covid 19 pandemic Dorothy’s sister Billy, referenced in the transcript and previously interviewed for this oral history project ‘passed away’ in a UK residential home. Billy became the subject of a poem written by Dorothy to commemorate her life and death, and the circumstances of her passing. Recordings of Dorothy reciting said poem were widely distributed in the summer of 2020 across media outlets in the UK, Ireland and the US.

    Previews


    1 - Audio Track 1 Interview with Dorothy Duffy in Twickenham, England 08.05.2018; Interview Accession No: 0UNA-U1X0006 (0UNA-U1X0006XX-0001M0C.mp3)

    Collection Method

    Tá Úna Gan A Gúna Irish Women’s Digital History Project

    Interviews with a range of women born in Ireland during the twentieth century or those with Irish connections. The aim was to gather the stories, memories and opinions of Irish women born in each decade of the twentieth century, about their experiences between the approximate ages of 15 and 25. The sample was found simply through women with whom volunteer interviewers had a connection or through Irish organisations. Interviews were recorded and participants checked and approved the transcripts and recordings.
    See website https://unaganaguna.org/

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    Metadata

    Dataset Title:

    Interview with Dorothy Duffy in Twickenham, England recorded on 08.05.2018.
    Creators:

    Beecher, Ruth
    Dataset Contributors:

    ContributionNameEmailORCID
    NarratorDuffy, DorothyUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
    InterviewerMoss, EmilyUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
    School/Department:

    Birkbeck Schools and Research Centres > School of Social Sciences, History and Philosophy > History, Classics and Archaeology
    Keywords:

    Ballina, Mayo, Education, Religion, Family, Relationship to father, Dublin, Emigrating to England, Nursing, London, Travelling, Amateur Dramatics.
    Data collection method:

    Tá Úna Gan A Gúna Irish Women’s Digital History Project

    Interviews with a range of women born in Ireland during the twentieth century or those with Irish connections. The aim was to gather the stories, memories and opinions of Irish women born in each decade of the twentieth century, about their experiences between the approximate ages of 15 and 25. The sample was found simply through women with whom volunteer interviewers had a connection or through Irish organisations. Interviews were recorded and participants checked and approved the transcripts and recordings.
    See website https://unaganaguna.org/
    Collection period:

    FromTo
    8 May 20188 May 2018
    Temporal coverage:

    FromTo
    1 January 19598 May 2018
    Statement on legal, ethical, and access issues:

    The research proposal was ethically approved by the School of Social Science, History and Philosophy at Birkbeck, University of London.
    Depositing User: Ruth Beecher
    Date Deposited: 26 Oct 2020 14:38
    Last Modified: 01 Jul 2022 16:09
    Publisher: Birkbeck College, University of London

    Export / Share Citation

    Cite as: Beecher, Ruth (2020): Interview with Dorothy Duffy in Twickenham, England recorded on 08.05.2018. Birkbeck College, University of London. doi: https://doi.org/10.18743/DATA.00078

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