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Rebecca Watterson, BA, MA, PhD

Fee £100.00 (concession rate £80.00) - fee will amend when you select the appropriate fee rate below.

New Year 2027

10 weekly sessions on Tuesdays 7.00 pm to 9.00 pm, starting 19 January

What did it mean to be labelled “mad” in the past, and who decided? What happened to those who were admitted to asylums, and why were so many people sent there? This course looks at how mental health was understood and treated in Ireland from the nineteenth century onwards, with particular reference to Ulster. It focuses on the rise of the asylum system and what that meant in practice, both for those who were admitted and for the families and communities around them.

We will look at who ended up in asylums, what life was like inside, and how ideas about care, control and recovery developed over time, alongside wider issues such as poverty and stigma.

No prior knowledge is needed. The course is discussion-based and accessible.

This class will take place on QUB campus

For further reading: Insanity and the Lunatic Asylum in the Nineteenth Century, Katherine D. Watson, 2019, Routledge; Politics, Society and the Asylum in Nineteenth-Century Ireland, Catherine Cox, 2012, Manchester University Press

Support Requirements

If as a result of your disability you have support requirements, please complete a support needs form and return it 3 weeks before your class commences. The form is available to download here under the Facilities and Support for Disabled Students section or contact the office on 90 973323.

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