Tuairim, intellectual debate and policy formulation: Rethinking Ireland, 1954–75

Tomas Finn

• Publisher: Manchester University Press
• Year: 2018
• Print ISBN:
  9780719095436
  9780719085253
• eBook ISBN:
  9781526130136
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Irish History
• Index: History

The 1950s and 1960s were a transformative phase in modern Irish history. In these years, a conservative society dominated by the Catholic Church, and a state which was inward-looking and distrustful of novelty, gradually opened up to fresh ideas. This book considers this change. It explores how the intellectual movement Tuairim ('opinion' in Irish), was at the vanguard of the challenge to orthodoxy and conservatism.

Tuairim contributed to debates on issues as diverse as Northern Ireland, the economy, politics, education, childcare and censorship. The society established branches throughout Ireland, including Belfast, and in London. It produced frequent critical publications and boasted a membership that included the future Taoiseach, Dr Garret FitzGerald. Tuairim occupied a unique position within contemporary debates on Ireland's present and future. This book is concerned with its role in the modernisation of Ireland. In so doing it also addresses topics of continued relevance for the Ireland of today, including the Northern Ireland Peace Process and the institutional care of children.

Table of contents

• Tuairim, intellectual debate and policy formulation
• Half Title Page
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• Figures
• Acknowledgements
• Abbreviations
• Note on terms used in Irish
• Introduction
• 1. Tuairim and the intellectual climate in Ireland
• 2. Representation and reform: Tuairim, the government and the Oireachtas
• 3. North and south: Tuairim and a divided island
• 4. Discourse and discord: Tuairim’s challenge to the conservative consensus on education and childcare
• 5. Sense and censorship: Tuairim and cultural conservatism
• Conclusion
• Select bibliography
• Index