Ciara Hyland

Cogadh ar Mhná/A War on Women

Ciara Hyland

Cathal Sheahan

Why is it that stories of sexual violence against women have never been part of the Irish War of Independence and the subsequent Civil War? Why, when those stories have been such an integral part of every other war – World War One, World War Two and even the later Bosnian War, are these stories missing from the Irish Revolution? For years, Ireland has been seen as being exceptional in that these acts didn’t occur here. But was Ireland really so special? Was the nature of war here so very different from war everywhere else? And did our men really behave so well? This documentary argues that the answer is no.