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Episode Notes
A social history of contraception in modern Ireland; and the story of Ireland's Special Branch from the 1920s to the 1940s.
Contraception and Modern Ireland
Contraception was the subject of intense controversy in twentieth-century Ireland. Banned in 1935 and stigmatised by the Catholic Church, it was the focus of some of the most polarised debates in the history of the state.
A new book, Contraception and Modern Ireland: A Social History is the first comprehensive, dedicated history of contraception in Ireland - from the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922, right up to the 1990s. It draws on the experiences of Irish citizens through a wide range of archival sources and also oral history.
Myles is joined by the author, Dr Laura Kelly, Senior Lecturer in the History of Healh and Medicine at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. Her book is published by Cambridge University Press. Thanks to funding from The Welcome Trust, the book is available online to read for free as a PDF here.
Ireland's Special Branch
"A Gang of Police Thugs" ... "Renegades and perverted types" These were just some of the ways the Garda Special Branch were described by their enemies within the anti-Treaty IRA.
'The Special Branch' of An Garda Siochana, which still exists today as the Special Detective Unit, traces its origins to the CID, or Criminal Investigation Department. This squad of detectives was set up in August 1922. They were based at Oriel House, at the corner of Westland Row and Fenian Street in Dublin.
A recently published book called Ireland’s Special Branch: The inside story of their battle with the IRA, 1922 – 1947 tells the story of the first few decades of the unit’s existence, and the detectives who lost their lives during this time. It was a turbulent period, marked by regular confrontations with the IRA.
The author is Gerard Lovett, himself a former member of An Garda Siochana, who spent the final five years of his policing career in the Special Branch, retiring in 2004.
The book is published by Eastwood Books.