Experiences and perceptions of rural women in the Republic of Ireland: studies in the Border Region

Abstract

There has been surprisingly little study of Irish rural women and much of the limited research has focused on farm women. This paper reports on investigations of the experiences and perceptions of rural women in general in two study areas in counties Louth and Leitrim, in the Border Region of the Republic of Ireland. The aspects dealt with are transport, employment, education and training, childcare and elderly care, health, social contacts and information, migration, and rural living. Access to services and opportunities presented difficulties but many accepted this as an inevitable part of rural living, which generally was favoured. There were variations, however, between the study areas and to a greater extent between different women depending on their circumstances.