The legacy of history: women and the ownership of land in Ireland

Abstract This paper is a review of existing sources across disciplines focusing on the topic of female farm ownership. Throughout the centuries, females have been explicitly excluded from owning and prevented from inheriting land. The purpose of this paper is to examine historical customs and rules governing female land ownership in Ireland and to demonstrate how the ‘old’ laws and customs have contributed significantly to the patriarchal system of farm ownership that is still in existence today even though the gender-based laws have disappeared. This paper argues that a contributing factor to the current male-dominated farm ownership figures is the normalisation of patriarchy by way of the old, gendered laws and practices. Although gender discrimination is no longer acceptable in such a direct legal form, the tradition and culture that established and supported such customs can still be seen today, as males account for 87% of Irish farmholders. This research addresses a lacuna in our understanding of women’s unequal position when it comes to the ownership of farms in Ireland.