Watch a series of three talks exploring Irish midwifery practice from the late 1800s to the modern day.

These talks formed part of a National Heritage Week 2023 event, organised by the Irish Community Archive Network, at the National Museum of Ireland - Country Life, Turlough Park, Castlebar, Co. Mayo.

These talks have been made available to watch online in association with the upcoming temporary exhibition Mary Anne Fanning: Remembering our Community Midwives, which opens on 3 October 2024 until 8 March 2025, at the National Museum of Ireland - Country Life. 

TALK 1: Positioning the Handywoman in Irish History c1851 - 1918 | Dr Ciara Breathnach 

Dr Ciara Breathnach, Associate Professor in History at the University of Limerick, outlines the historical context, tracing changes in midwifery tradition and practice throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.

TALK 2: The Lives and Work of Rural Midwives | Emma Laffey

Emma Laffey, Skehana & District Heritage Group, is the author of the award-winning An Bhean Ghlúine publication and co-curator of the upcoming exhibition Mary Anne Fanning: Remembering our Community Midwives. In this talk, Emma highlights the lives and work of some of the rural midwives she has researched. 

TALK 3: Midwifery Practice Today | Aisling Dixon

Aisling Dixon, Advanced Midwife Practitioner at Portiuncula Hospital, talks about midwifery practice today.