Motherhood, Referendums and Austerity in Contemporary Irish Women's Writing

This chapter looks at how the constitution and the referendums during the past four decades are represented in Irish women’s fiction. Pregnant bodies and motherhood have been at the heart of major referendums from 1983 to 2018. From the insertion of the eighth amendment in 1983 to the citizenship referendum, women’s rights have been contested at the polls, and in the media. As we move towards a debate on Article 41.2 of the constitution, this chapter asks how Irish women have written about these issues, and the economic and mobility issues that arise as a result.