Contraception and Modern Ireland reviewed by Elizabeth O’Brien
Published in Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences, January 2026.
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Abstract

A tour de force of feminist history, Laura Kelly’s Contraception and Modern Ireland is an intimate exploration of reproductive health and activism in the twentieth century. The story begins with the establishment of the Irish Free State (1922) and ends with the Health Amendment Act of 1992, which allowed adults to acquire contraceptives without a prescription. The twentieth century gave rise to a coalition between Irish nationalists — who associated contraceptives with degenerate English morals — and the papal hierarchy, which adopted an increasingly anti-contraceptive stance acrost the twentieth century. Over nine chapters, Kelly first tracks the effect of pronatalism on people’s lives, and then shows how feminists mounted a successful family planning movement. While Kelly makes exhaustive use of archival sources, oral history defines and enlivens this book. The testimonies of 116 people (103 born before 1955) yield rich insights about people’s emotional lives. Kelly’s actors leap off the page and speak directly to the audience, resulting in a personal and memorable read. This methodology also prompts reflection on the messiness and ambiguity of people’s subjective self-perceptions.