Synopses & Reviews
"A groundbreaking analysis of sex in Ireland lays bare the devastating consequences of more than a century of oppression."--Guardian UK
Occasions of Sin charts the Irish sexual experience during the twentieth century. In tackling the public and private worlds of Irish sex, this book is groundbreaking in its scope and ambition. Diarmaid Ferriter covers such subjects as abortion, contraception, censorship, homosexuality, and the various hidden Irelands associated with sexual abuse—all in the context of a conservative official morality backed by the Catholic church. The breadth of this book and the richness of the material uncovered make it definitive in its field and a remarkable work of social history.
Diarmaid Ferriter is a professor of modern Irish history at University College, Dublin.
Review
"Ferriter will merit the attention of anyone interested in Irish social, economic, and religious history" -Booklist
"A groundbreaking study of the control of sexuality by church and state in twentieth century Ireland...a riveting account...for anyone tempted by the sin of nostalgia, Ferriter's superbly researched narrative is a powerful prophylactic" - Observer
"It analyses the flaws in the way the Irish saw themselves, and hoped that others would see them... the book adds up to a tremendous feat of documentation which leaves no source of misery unprobed." - The Independent
Synopsis
The definitive sexual history of twentieth-century Ireland.
Synopsis
Ferriter covers such subjects as abortion, pregnancy, celibacy, contraception, censorship, infanticide, homosexuality, prostitution, marriage, popular culture, social life and the various hidden Irelands associated with sexual abuse - all in the context of a conservative official morality backed by the Catholic Church and by legislation. The book energetically and originally engages with subjects omitted from the mainstream historical narrative. The breadth of this book and the richness of the source material uncovered make it definitive in its field and a most remarkable work of social history.
About the Author
Diarmaid Ferriter is Professor of Modern Irish History at University College, Dublin. He is the author of the acclaimed and best-selling Transformation of Ireland 1900-2000.