Ciara Meehan – författare

When Fine Gael entered a coalition government with Fianna Fáil in 2020 the party did what would have been unthinkable for its forefathers who fought and won a bitter civil war to establish the institutions of an independent Irish state almost a century earlier.Told through the lens of its leaders and Taoisigh, Saving the State is the fascinating story of the wilderness years and the achievements in government, the defeats and crises, the partnerships and the leadership upheavals that have shaped Fine Gael over the decades.From the special place in the party’s pantheon of heroes occupied by Michael Collins to the dark era of the Blueshirts, and from its role as the founders of the state to its claim to be the defenders of the state, the ways that members perceive their own history is also explored.This book is essential reading for anyone interested in understanding how Fine Gael came to be the party it is today and the role that it played in shaping modern Ireland. 'A superb, illuminating and even-handed look at the highs and lows in Fine Gael's turbulent history,' David McCullagh, author of DeValera: Rise and DeValera: Rule. ‘It is a tremendously well written book. At 418 pages it flows extremely well and is very accessible, even to the uninitiated.’ Barry Shep, The Irish Story‘Collins and Meehan have made a valuable contribution to the canon of Irish political histories’ David Davin-Power, Irish Independent Review‘fascinating’ Matt Cooper, Sunday Business Post‘It’s a fascinating insight into the party from day one right up until the present day’ Joe Finnegan Show, Northern Sound‘It’s a really really detailed and wonderful book’ Tommy Marren, Midwest Radio‘Formidable and authoritative’ Andrew Lynch, Sunday Business Post

This book explores representations of the domestic in Irish women’s magazines. Published in 1960s Ireland, during a period of transformation, they served as modern manuals for navigating everyday life. Traditional themes – dating, marriage, and motherhood – dominated. But editors also introduced conflicting voices to complicate the narrative. Readers were prompted to reimagine their home life, and traditional values were carefully subverted. The domestic was shown to be a negotiable concept in the coverage of such issues as the body and reproductive rights, working wives and equal pay. Dominant societal perceptions of women were also challenged through the inclusion of those who were on the margins – widows, unmarried mothers, and never-married women. This book considers the motivations of editors, the role of readers, and the influence of advertisers in shaping complex debates about women in society in 1960s Ireland.

This multi-disciplinary collection brings together work by scholars from Britain, America and Canada on the popular, personal and institutional histories of pregnancy. The contributors explore several key themes: narratives of pregnancy and birth, the patient-consumer, and literary representations of childbearing.