Patrick McDonagh. Gay and Lesbian Activism in the Republic of Ireland, 1973–93.

Abstract

The Republic of Ireland has witnessed vast social reforms in the twenty-first century, including decriminalization of abortion, the extension of civil marriage to same-sex couples, and a reformation of divorce legislation. For perhaps the first time in the history of the Irish State, the country has shed its conservative Catholic image to become a leader in civil rights. Recent histories of modern Ireland have begun to document the root of activist movements that have led to such social reforms, including now Gay and Lesbian Activism in the Republic of Ireland, 1973–93 by Patrick McDonagh. Prior to this publication, historical accounts of gay and lesbian activism in Ireland preceding the decriminalization of male homosexual activity in 1993 were sadly lacking. Yet the records of individuals and organizations were readily available for public consultation. In 2007, Senator David Norris, an Irish civil rights campaigner and a central figure in the decriminalization bill, donated his personal archive to the National Library of Ireland. The following year the National LGBT Federation made the pertinent decision to donate the Irish Queer Archive (Cartlann Aerach na hÉireann), also to the National Library of Ireland. That collection of material is vast, including the records of many central LGBT organizations and the personal papers of gay rights activists in Ireland. McDonagh is perhaps the first historian to fully use these manuscript collections, and the result is a detailed and engaging account of the gay rights movement in Ireland. McDonagh has also incorporated oral interviews to great effect, including interviews taken specifically for this research as well as accessing the records of Edmund Lynch, who has been conducting interviews with Irish LGBT individuals since 2013.