Gay Byrne explores attitudes to unmarried mothers in 1980s Ireland.
Gay Byrne talks to Marianne McArdle, a single unmarried mother with two children and Mary Higgins, Information Officer with Cherish, an organisation that helps women like her. Higgins was once an unmarried mother herself. Byrne asks her why taxpayers should support them. Many married women have written to the show about their own hardship, wondering why the unmarried mothers should get state support. Higgins says it is the system that is wrong. People feel threatened by the idea of women raising children on their own outside of marriage.
Title: |
Unmarried Mothers in Ireland |
Clip Duration: |
00:04:41 |
Material Type: |
Audio |
Clip Title: |
“These Girls Are Getting Away with Something” |
Series Title: |
Gay Byrne Show |
Information: |
The 'Gay Byrne Show' began on radio as the ‘Gay Byrne Hour' on 2 February 1973. In a rapidly changing Ireland, the programme became the public forum for many topics and debates of the day and was especially popular with housewives.
In 1979 the programme was given extended air time and changed name to become the 'Gay Byrne Show'. Broadcasting for two hours a day from Monday to Friday, the 'Gay Byrne Show' stayed on air until Byrne's retirement in 1998. The accompanying image of a mother feeding her baby is © RTÉ Archives 0899/037 |
Local Keywords: |
Gay Byrne, Broadcasting, RTÉ, Unmarried mothers, Single parents, Cherish, Marianne McArdle, Mary Higgins, The Gay Byrne Show |
Coverage: |
Ireland |
Topic: |
The Media |
Contributor(s): |
Gay Byrne (Presenter) |
Publisher: |
RTÉ |
First Broadcast Channel: |
RTÉ Radio One |
Broadcast Date: |
07/05/1986 |
Production Year: |
1986 |
Country of Production: |
Ireland |
Original Identifier: |
QCC002084 |
IPR Restrictions: |
Rights Reserved - Free Access |
Rights, Terms and Conditions: |
Copyright RTÉ. This material may not be replicated in any form or manner without the prior express permission of RTÉ. Any form of reproduction in print, television, video, multimedia, web site or other electronic media or any form of dissemination for commercial or non-commercial use must be licensed by the RTÉ Archives. If you wish to licence video or audio clips, still images or text, or would like further guidance please contact us. RTÉ Archives are committed to respecting the copyright of others and have attempted to source and credit the copyright owners of all material used here. RTÉ would like to hear from any copyright owners who are not properly identified here so that the necessary corrections can be made. If you feel your copyright has not been respected please contact us. |
Item Type: |
part/extract |
Sound: |
Mono |
Language: |
English (eng) |