Big Maggie was first performed on January 20th, 1969 in the Opera House, Cork.

Chains or Change

Two years later, The Irish Women’s Liberation Movement came to public attention during The Late Late Show’s ‘Women’s Special’, with the release of a manifesto: “Chains or Change: the Civil Wrongs of Irish Women” (6th March, 1971).

The following is a short excerpt. The full text can be found here.

“Although there has been some piecemeal reform in the legal status of married women in this country, it can still be said that upon marriage a woman in Ireland enters into a state of civil death. Since 1957, a married woman is allowed to hold and dispose of property, to sue and be sued, to contract. Subsequent legislation has allowed her certain basic rights of inheritance upon her husband’s estate.

Nonetheless, a married woman in Ireland has still no real identity or existence in her own right. She is still regarded as the chattel of her husband. Her domicile is automatically her husband’s – that is to say, if he happens to be in America, she is also legally speaking in America, no matter where she might ‘actually’ be. She must have permission from him for all kinds of things – pledging any credit or making almost any kind of private financial arrangements; putting the children on her passport; in certain cases, if she needs to have a gynæcological operation.

A man may desert his wife for as long as he chooses – but return whenever he wishes and automatically resume all his marital and parental rights. A woman immediately forfeits all her rights, including access to the marital home or to the children, if she leaves him.”

More from the Big Maggie Programme

To read the Big Maggie programme note by Catriona Crowe, click here.