Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society The Most Notorious Sex Worker of 18th Century Dublin
Jan 27, 2026
Anthony Delaney, historian and author specializing in queer and 18th‑century Dublin history, guides us through the life of Peg Plunkett. Learn about Dublin’s Georgian divides. Hear about Peg’s rise from precarious lodgings to running a brothel, her patrons and branding as Mrs Leeson. Discover violent attacks, courtroom drama over Richard Crosby, memoir culture and her rocky retirement.
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Dublin's Wealth Divide Created A Sex Market
- 18th-century Dublin was a wealthy colonial capital dominated by a small Protestant ascendancy.
- This concentration of power created sharp poverty and a thriving commercial sex economy.
Peg's Origins And Shaky Chronology
- Peg Plunkett was born Margaret Plunkett in County Westmeath and later claimed 1727 as her birth year.
- Her memoirs conflict with records, producing debate about exact dates and details.
Family Control Pushed Her Toward The City
- Family abuse and withheld dowries pushed Peg from a potential respectable marriage into precarious independence.
- Those pressures mirror wider gender and economic vulnerabilities of the era.
