Mary Doran Collection: Home

This Collection is an extension of the Attic Press Collection already available in UCC Library Archives. 

Mary Doran was a co-founder of the IFI (Irish Feminist Information), along with Róisín Conroy in 1978. The IFI was a feminist organisation concerned with the publication and dissemination of information relating to women, and women's rights in Ireland.    

The feminist movement in 1970s and 1980s Ireland was a period of fervent activism marked by challenges to entrenched gender norms and a push for women's rights in a conservative societal landscape. During this time, Ireland was grappling with the legacy of traditional values, predominantly influenced by the Catholic Church, which often confined women to traditional roles.

In the 1970s, Irish feminists sought to dismantle oppressive structures, drawing inspiration from international feminist movements. The decade saw the emergence of groups like the Irish Women's Liberation Movement (IWLM), which campaigned for issues such as the repeal of discriminatory laws and the recognition of women's right to work.

The 1980s brought a heightened focus on reproductive rights, with the controversial Eighth Amendment to the Constitution in 1983 equating the right to life of the unborn with that of the mother. This ignited a fierce struggle for reproductive autonomy, and organisations like the Well Woman Centre and the Women's Right to Choose group played pivotal roles in advocating for the repeal of the Eighth Amendment.

The feminist movement in this era faced significant opposition from conservative elements, but it laid the groundwork for future advancements. The 1980s saw a growing awareness of domestic violence, workplace discrimination, and the broader impact of patriarchal structures on women's lives. Ultimately, the feminist activism of the 1970s and 1980s set the stage for the more inclusive and progressive Ireland that would emerge in subsequent decades.

In November 1984 IFI separated its training and publishing functions by launching their feminist publishing house - Attic Press. The main body of this archive can be found in the Attic Press Collection.