This documentary tells of Lydia Foy's life in smalltown Ireland through the 1950s, 60s, 70s and 80s, as a person with transgender sydrome, struggling through boarding school and then trying to conform by qualifying and working as a denist, and by marrying and having a family.

It took over 40 years for her to feel content with who she was, but since having gender realignment surgery in the early 1990s, Lydia has lived as a woman - in her hometown of Athy.

She has sacrificied much in order to become a woman and the road she has followed is at times a lonely one.

After her surgery, Lyda spent over a decade in the courts arguing that, when the state identified her, at birth, as male, they were wrong.

In 2009, in a landmark ruling in the High Court, she finally won the right to have her public birth certificate reflect her gender as a woman.

However, as yet, this ruling has not been recognised in Irish law.

This is the story of one woman's struggle in the Irish courts, and Irish society, for respect, privacy and dignity.

The documentary is based on interviews with Lydia, with her barrister, Bill Shipsey SC, and Dr Louis Gooren, a leading international authority on transgenderism. With a guest appearance by Sandy the Guinea Pig.

Produced and narrated by Colin Murphy.

Production supervision by Nicoline Greer.

Sound supervision by Andrew Kane.

The voice of Judge McKechnie is by Enda Oates.

First broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1 on Saturday 2nd July 2011 @ 2pm

An Irish radio documentary from RTÉ Radio 1, Ireland - Documentary on One - the home of Irish radio documentaries.