Wrens of the Curragh

The Wrens of the Curragh were a community of women in nineteenth-century Ireland who lived outside society on the plains of Kildare, many of whom were sex workers at Curragh Camp. Records date back to the 1840s of women living on the Curragh nearby the army camp. Many of the women were orphans because of the Great Famine, resulting in them using prostitution to provide for themselves. The women developed a lifestyle in which money, homes, belongings, food, and childcare were shared. The community of women was originally covered by Charles Dickens in his journal, later being covered in novels, a poem, music, a podcast, and art.