Precarious childhood in post-independence Ireland e-bog

This fascinating study reveals the desperate plight of the poor, illegitimate and abused children in an Irish society that claimed to "e;cherish"e; and hold them sacred, but in fact marginalised and ignored them. It closely examines the history of childhood in post-independence Ireland, and it breaks new ground in examining the role of the state in caring for its most vulnerable citizens. Maguire gives voice to those children who formed a significant proportion of the Irish population, but who have been ignored in the historical record. More importantly, it uses their experiences as lenses through which to re-evaluate Catholic influence in post-independence Irish society. An essential and timely work, this book offers a different interpretation of the relationships between the Catholic Church, the political establishment, and Irish people; it is important for academics and non-academics interested in the history of family and childhood as well as twentieth-century Irish social history.