My First Experience of Presenting at a Conference: The Irish History Student’s Association 69th Annual Conference

For today’s post, I will discuss my experience of presenting a paper at a conference for the first time at the Irish History Student’s Association Annual Conference at Mary Immaculate College, Limerick.

During the 1950s, the IHSA conference was established in the 1950s by representatives from Irish universities. I was delighted when my abstract on ‘Public health nurses and the expansion of maternal and infant provision, 1922-1960’ was accepted by the organisers of the IHSA. They consistently sent out emails regarding the programme, direction to the campus and other important information leading up to the conference. The conference was held on the 1^st – 3^rd March 2019 at Mary Immaculate College, Limerick. I was chosen to present on the 14^th panel on ‘20^th Century health and body histories’ at 3:30pm on 2^nd March alongside two other speakers.

I felt enthusiastic and a tad nervous to present a paper for the first time at a history conference. My only experience with public speaking had included classroom presentations in front of fellow students and friends as well as a year’s experience of debating during my time at secondary school. However, I constantly reminded myself that I was overly familiar with my research and that I had rehearsed my presentation at least five times at home. I was also looking forward to meeting other researchers with similar interests in maternal and child welfare in Ireland. I was especially excited to meet the chair of my panel, Dr Sarah-Anne Buckley, whom had undertaken research on the NSPCC and child welfare in the Irish Free State during the twentieth century.

However, due to the fact that I was travelling from Cork to Limerick I was unable to attend the Keynote address by Professor Jane Ohlmeyer (UCD) on Friday, 1^st March. The organisers of the conference were very welcoming and kind as were all the other speakers I met on the day. They offered me advice on public speaking and gave me directions to the room I was presenting in. I felt relaxed and at ease while I presented my paper and was asked numerous questions at the end of my panel. I also had the opportunity to meet Dr Sarah-Anne Buckley whom was very friendly and interested in all the speakers’ papers.

Overall, it was an incredibly positive experience as I made new friends and researchers with similar interests to myself. The IHSA’s conference offers a great opportunity in a supportive and friendly environment for anyone interested in presenting for the first time. ffffff

Health Visitation and Maternity and Child Welfare Centres: the Expansion of Maternal and Infant Provision, 1915-1930

In 1900, maternal mortality rates were high in Ireland due to numerous factors. The only provision available to mothers was through the dispensary midwife from the local dispensary and voluntary nursing associations such as Lady Dudley’s nurses. Moreover, most women did not give birth in hospital and relied on a handywoman, an untrained midwife, to assist with childbirth. This practise often resulted in the spread of infection to the new mother. According to the 37th Annual Report of the Registrar General, 6.4 per 1,000 women died in birth from puerperal fever or other diseases linked to parturition in 1900.

At the start of the twentieth century infant mortality rates were extremely high due to the spread of infectious diseases such as diphtheria, pneumonia, gastro-enteritis and tuberculosis. In 1900, the Registrar General’s report stated that 38 per 1,000 children under five years of age died. According to Joe Robin’s Nursing and Midwifery in Ireland in the twentieth century: fifty years of an Bord Altranais (the Nursing Board) 1950-2000, the high infant mortality rate was influenced by various socio-economic factors including a lack of nutrition and an unclean living environment. Poor mothers were not educated on sanitation, nutrition, breastfeeding and infant illnesses. However, independent initiatives were established by middle class women such as the Women’s National Health Association in 1907 to reduce the high infant and maternal mortality rates in Ireland and to educate mothers on breastfeeding and cleanliness.

In 1907, the Notification of Births Act was passed, however, it did not make the notification of births compulsory. Under the 1915 Notification of Births (Extension) Act, health visitation was introduced for new and nursing mothers and children under the age of five. The Local Government Board was made responsible for the establishment of Maternity and child welfare centres and for the distribution of food to mothers and young children. However, the act only applied to urban areas.

In 1918, the Maternity and Child Welfare Act was passed, requiring local authorities to ensure provision for nursing and expectant mothers and children under five including health visitation, maternity and child welfare centres and free food and milk to poor mothers and young children. Nurses from voluntary nursing associations were mainly employed by local health authorities to undertake the health visitation service. It sought to educate mothers on nutrition and breastfeeding, thus helping to eradicate the ignorance of mothers about childbirth and babies. Significantly, in 1918, the Central Midwives Board was set up and a register of trained midwives was introduced to ensure that the practise of handywoman was discontinued. A register for general nurses was also introduced under the 1919 Nurses Registration Act.

During the 1920s, health services such as hospitals were co-ordinated. In 1923, a County Medical Officer was appointed to manage county health schemes including maternal and infant health services. Health visitors were appointed to work in the maternity and child welfare centres in county boroughs with high infant mortality rates including Dublin and Cork. They educated the expectant or nursing mother on childbirth and dangers of handywomen. The DLGPH’s Report 1922-1925 stated that ‘the ultimately the remedy lies in the gradual enlightenment of expectant mothers with regard to risks involved’. The Irish Nurse’s Union Gazette advised that the public health nurse to teach mothers through physical instruction rather than an explanation, for example, ‘by boiling the water we are going to use we can demonstrate the principle of sterilisation’. However, health visitation continued to be the only provision available to women in rural areas.

The high infant mortality rates encouraged the growth of the schemes in other counties and county boroughs. According to Report of the Commission on the Relief of the Sick and Destitute Poor Including the Insane Poor appointed 19^th March 1925, by 1925, there were 93 Maternity and Child Welfare schemes in operation throughout the country. The maternity and child welfare centres were funded by the Irish government. They funded half the costs of the voluntary nurses working under the Maternity and Child welfare schemes while the remainder was paid by local rates. It was mainly voluntary nurses that operated the maternity and child welfare schemes. Ruth Barrington’s Health, Medicine & Politics in Ireland, 1900-1970 maintained that in 1927, the first child welfare centre was set up in Lord Edward Street, Dublin, providing health education to mothers and public health nurses could refer patients for specialist treatment. Specialist treatment included treatment for medical conditions including rickets.

By 1930, the notification of births began in urban districts in countiessuch as Donegal. The voluntary nurses managed more maternity and child welfarecentres than district nurses employed by local authorities. According to the DLGPH’s Report 1930-31, health visits were carried out to 18,379 mothers and 33,930 children and 37,914 mothers in their homes. The Maternity and Child Welfare Schemes also provided free milk to poor mothers and infants. The DLGPH’s report 1930-1931stated that a Maternity and Child Welfare Centre opened at Tukey Street, Cork in 1931. Lindsey Earner-Byrne’s Mother and Child: Maternity and Child Welfare in Dublin, 1922-60 argues that Maternity and Child Welfare Schemes in urban areas including Dublin, Limerick and Cork were co-ordinated with the maternity hospitals, facilitating the development of ante-natal services.

Significantly, the 1915 Notification of Births (Extension) Act was the first attempt by the British government to establish provision for mothers and infants in Ireland. Importantly, the Nurses Registration Act 1919 and the Midwives (Ireland) Act 1918 marked the beginning of the decline of untrained handywomen and nurses. Maternal and infant provision was reinforced by the County Medical Officer whom oversaw their gradual introduction into county boroughs. By 1930,numerous maternity and child welfare centres were established and the number of health visits undertaken by nurses increased. They offered an ante-natal service to expectant mothers and the provision of food and milk for poor mothers and children under 5 helped to reduce medical conditions linked to malnourishment.

Tips for Writing a History Dissertation

For today’s post, I am keen to offer my top ten tips for writing and researching a history dissertation. In September 2018, completed my Masters in History at University College Cork. My masters programme was spread over the course of one year in which I was required to write a 20,000 word dissertation. Since I studied history as part of my Bachelor’s Degree in Arts, I became fascinated with the history of healthcare in modern Ireland, in particular in relation to provision for women and children during the twentieth century. Despite various topic changes, I settled on examining the role of the public health nurse in maternal and infant provision and the School Medical Service, 1919-1979. Fortunately, I received a First Class Honours in my dissertation and for my overall grade at the end of the year and consequently, I would like to share some useful advice and tips that I learned throughout my experience of writing a history dissertation.

Firstly, it’s important to allow for your topic to change or alter while you are researching your topic. This naturally happens as you may come across an idea which may appeal more to your taste or you may find that your original idea may have been previously researched. You start researching by reading academic secondary sources that are related to your topic and taking note of these books and journal articles as you sift through new material.

Next, you can expand to examining primary material such as governmental reports and documents and you will become aware that you may need to visit some archives to view certain reports of material. for my research, I needed to view archives by An Bord Altranais held in UCD Archives for which I was required to provide ethical approval as I had access to sensitive personal information, for example nurses registers. Therefore, you need to ensure you have booked an appointment to view archives in the library before you make the trip.

It’s also important to point out that you should not worry about what stage of researching or writing other students in your class are at as everyone has a pace that is right for them. Talk to your dissertation supervisor or the Masters co-ordinator about how much research you should aim to complete within a given time and set deadlines to hand up your draft chapters to your supervisor. I promise that this will help you to avoid deviating from doing your research and help to ensure that you are consistently writing and editing your work.

The easiest method of approaching your dissertation is to focus on one chapter or section of your dissertation at a time. You should also negotiate deadlines for these chapters and sections of your dissertation with your supervisor which will ensure you maintain focus and progress with your work as it is easy to become immersed in one chapter and neglect the following sections. I would also recommend starting your chapters before writing the introduction as you cannot be certain of each chapter’s outline until you have researched each chapter which will inevitably alter.

Please ensure that you have edited your work at least four times before you submit any drafts to your supervisor as the more time and effort you put into your work the higher the grade you will receive at the end of the year. Fundamentally, do not be afraid to ask for clarification on any corrections you supervisor provides you with. They are appointed to advise and support you.

Take a break between writing chapters as you will have a clear head and feel refreshed when you begin a new chapter (I usually took a week or two as I had the summer months to write my dissertation).

Proof-reading is an essential part of editing so when you have read over your completed chapters and sections hundreds of times ask a friend or family member to read your work. They will be more likely to notice any spelling or grammar mistakes with a fresh pair of eyes.

It may also be helpful to get your dissertation copies bound a few days before the submission date to allow for unforeseen delays. You should read the History Department’s submission instructions to double-check that you have the correct font size and number of copies etc.

Lastly, enjoy your experience of undertaking a masters as you will meet new friends with similar interests to yourself and become more confident with researching.