Sex and Sexualities in Ireland

Barbara Górnicka completed her doctoral degree in Sociology at University College Dublin. Her main research interests include sociology of the body, emotions, women’s health, sex and sexuality, gender, and sociological theory. Her publications include a book Nakedness, Shame, and Embarrassment: A Long-Term Sociological Perspective (2016), and an edited collection Norbert Elias in Troubled Times Figurational Approaches to the Problems of the Twenty-first Century (2021). She is a lecturer at UCD's School of Sociology.Mark Doyle is Lecturer in Sociology at South East Technological University (SETU) Waterford, Ireland. His research interests include dating apps: sexual health, masculinities and the body. Mark is also a sexual health adviser and has worked with the Mpower programme at HIV Ireland to develop digital sexual health outreach strategies for rural and peri-urban gay and bisexual men who have sex with men (gbMSM), with a focus on gbMSM who are not out and their specific sexual health needs. Mark completed his doctoral degree at University College Dublin’s School of Sociology, Ireland. ORCID ID 0000-0002-8280-8315.

"Sex and Sexualities in Ireland is a significant contribution to the field of LGBTIQ + studies in the Irish context. It challenges prevailing narratives, highlights the resilience and activism of queer communities, and calls for greater inclusivity and understanding in both policy and practice. This book is a must-read for scholars, activists, and anyone interested in the ongoing struggle for equality and recognition for LGBTIQ+ individuals in Ireland." (Evgeny Shtorn, Irish Studies Review, October 9, 2025)

• Chapter 1- Irish Sex in History and Contexts: Editors' Introduction.- Part I: Sexualities in Historical Irish Contexts.- Chapter 2- 'I part not from effeminacy' - queer behaviour in Gaelic Ireland.- Chapter 3- Fun and Games - Cork Lesbians, Sex and Sexuality.- Chapter 4- Digital Pathways to Queer Irish Histories: Digital Media, Queer Archives and Queering Cultural Memory through Technology.- Part II: Young Adults, Sexual Health, and Education.- Chapter 5- Comprehensive sexuality education in Ireland: A children's rights perspective.- Chapter 6- The Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) Review: Advancing Student Sexual Citizenship in Ireland for the Twenty First Century?.- Chapter 7- The Road Less Travelled: The Journey to Meaningful and Empowering Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) in Irish Schools.- Part III: Sexual Practices and Health.- Chapter 8- Vaginismus in Irish Culture.- Chapter 9- Queer Expressions: Intersections of Sexuality, Identity and Healthcare for IrishGay Men.- Chapter 10- Chemsex in Ireland: Increasing pleasure and reducing harms.- Part IV: Minority Sexualities and Genders.- Chapter 11- Sexual behaviour in sexual minority young people from Ireland.- Chapter 12- Gay Travellers in Ireland: resisting tradition.- Chapter 13- "To be honest, I've never associated too much with being Irish...": Bisexualities and Belonging in the Post-Marriage Equality Era.- Part V: Sex Work in Ireland.- Chapter 14-'Selfies that Pay': #OnlyFans and the Online Lives of Migrant Male Sex Workers in Ireland.- Chapter 15- "They never self-identify": Victims of human trafficking for sexual exploitation, the island of Ireland.- Part VI: Activism and Contestation.- Chapter 16- 'No woman should have to travel for the health care they deserve. #repealthe8th'.- Chapter 17- HIV and the Politics of Silence in Ireland.