Shannon Devlin is a social and gender historian of nineteenth-century Ireland with a particular interest in sibling and cousin relationships. Her recently completed thesis, entitled, ‘Sibling relations in Protestant middle-class Ulster families, 1850-1900′, uses the sibling relationship as a window into Irish middle-class society. Exploring horizontal, diagonal, and inter-generational family relationships reveal new perspectives on inheritance, family wealth, courtship, migration, political allegiances, and philanthropic activity. Brothers and sisters played a vital role in shaping family strategy, social mobility, family reputation and identity in both rural and urban Ireland. She is currently researching sibling social networks and attitudes towards cousin marriage in nineteenth-century Ireland.