Occasions of Sin : Sex and Society in Modern Ireland

Groundbreaking in its scope and ambition, "Occasions of Sin" charts the Irish sexual experience over the course of the twentieth century. Ferriter covers such subjects as abortion, pregnancy, celibacy, contraception, censorship, infanticide, homosexuality, prostitution, marriage, popular culture, social life and the various hidden Irelands associated with sexual abuse - all in the context of a conservative official morality backed by the Catholic Church and by legislation. The book energetically and originally engages with subjects omitted from the mainstream historical narrative. The breadth of this book and the richness of the source material uncovered make it definitive in its field and a most remarkable work of social history.

Diarmaid Ferriter was born in Dublin in 1972. One of Ireland's leading historians, he is Professor of Modern Irish History at University College Dublin and author of The Transformation of Ireland 1900-2000 [Profile Books, 9781861974433] and Judging Dev: A Reassessment of the Life and Legacy of Eamon de Valera.