Working as a healthcare assistant in a Maternity Ward in Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe, Galway. It brought to mind of a time when women only birthed their babies at home. I did a little research and discovered that not much had been written about these Midwives, both educated and un-educated.
They pushed through barriers that faced them to get educated, work and continue working after they were married during a time when women didn’t even have a vote.
During this project I will be introducing you to some of the wonderful women during the early part of the 20th century known as An Bhean Ghluíne – Woman of the Knee- Midwife –Handywoman. They bravely entered into the birthing mother’s homes not knowing what was to face them. Birthing during these time’s, came with tremendous risks and very little medical intervention. The reality of losing a mother , baby or both played a very large part with this role. They worked in the Big Landlord Houses right down the Traveller Camps and all done with great compassion and empathy for all birthing women regardless of their status.
Here on the website you will find a ebook with the midwives stories and photographs, a short film about the life of Mary Kate Jennings who was a midwife serving the Ballinasloe area, some voice recordings from local people and families chatting about their experience with their local midwife, including Kathleen Ward who tells us all about the travelling community and their experience with pregnancy, birth and the old traditions surrounding them. I would like to thank every family member and the public for their assistance and permissions with the project.
I would also like to thank The Heritage Council for the funding, GKMedia for the film & ebook, ICAN Lorna Elms & Hassan Dabbagh for their technical support with website and lastly my colleagues at Skehana & District Heritage Group for their continued support.
Lastly I hope ye enjoy the project and that other local heritage groups will get on board to record their local midwives for future generations!
Emma Laffey
Skehana & District Heritage Group
