Healthcare and the Troubles - by Ruth Duffy (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Winner of the ACIS Donald Murphy Prize for Distinguished First Book, 2024

This book provides the first detailed study of healthcare during the period of the Troubles in Northern Ireland (1968-1998). While there have been some studies of the effects of conflict in the context of Northern Ireland, to date there have been no in-depth histories of the impact of the Troubles on healthcare and the experiences of healthcare professionals. Ruth Duffy's work combines analysis of archival research and oral history interviews to reveal the widespread impact of the conflict on healthcare facilities, their staff, and patients, as well as the broader societal implications of providing services during the Troubles. The book allows the voices of those who worked on the frontline to be heard for the first time, as well as exploring important issues such as medical ethics and neutrality. It offers new and valuable insights into the cost of the Northern Ireland conflict and its legacy today.

Review Quotes

'Duffy's work stands on the foundation of strong archival research that reveals the lived experience of a professional community whose labor has been nearly totally overlooked. This book reorients the study of the Troubles away from figureheads and parties, and towards individuals who reacted to the world these institutions created, found unique ways of surviving, and, critically, assisted others in physical, tangible ways that have gone significantly underappreciated... This book is a call to Irish Studies as a whole both in its topic and methodology, and we are confident that Ruth Duffy's work will inspire students and scholars alike for many years to come.' ACIS Donald Murphy Prize Committee