Replaying the ‘Match’: Marriage Settlements in North Galway

Abstract

In this paper, marriage settlement records from a north Galway legal practice are utilised to provide additional insights into the socio-legal aspects of the marriage practices of west of Ireland farmers. The significant new findings include: the complexity and variety of forms of property transfer; the wide range of actors and interests involved in the settlements; and the far from universal presence of the dowry. While the empirical base of the paper is limited, the findings are such as to question some of the taken-for-granted elements of farmer's marriage patterns as they are described in previous accounts.