Changes in Ireland in the 1960s

1. Widening Horizons
Ireland in the 1960s
• Government, Economy and Society in
the Republic of Ireland
• 1949-1989

2. Ireland in the 1960s
• Economic Changes
• Social Changes
• Higher Incomes
• More socialising, more consumer goods
• Improvements in Education
• Greater interest in political and social
issues

3. Education
• OECD Report in 1965 was critical of
education provision
• Huge disparities between social classes
and regions of the country
• Poor education provision was hindering
economic development

4. Free Second-Level
Schools• Donogh O’Malley,
Minister for
Education
introduced free post-
primary education in
1967

5. Free Second-Level
Schools• Most church run schools joined the new
scheme
• Government challenged Church control by
establishing comprehensive and community
schools
• New Regional Technical Colleges built
• Grants for third level students introduced

6. Numbers at Second Level
• 1966 - 148,000
• 1968 - 185,000
• 1974 - 239,000

7. Second Vatican Council
• Catholic Church in Ireland was deeply
conservative
• The Vatican felt that change was needed in
the Catholic Church globally to remain
relevant
• Pope John XXIII called the Second Vatican
Council in 1962 to reform the Catholic
Church

8. Second Vatican Council

9. Impact of Second Vatican
Council
• Ecumenism – an open approach to other
Christian religions
• Mass in vernacular instead of Latin – led to
downgrading of Latin in schools
• Priests and bishops went onto the media to
discuss religious issues with lay people
• Relaxing of rules on non-Catholics in
marriage
• Improved relations between Protestant and
Catholic Churches in Ireland

10. Impact of Second Vatican
Council
• Some bishops and priests resisted
implementing changes at local level
• Major controversy when in 1968 Pope Paul
VI issued Humanae Vitae
• Papal encyclical condemned artificial
methods of birth control
• Provoked widespread debate

11. Role of Television
• Brought the world into people’s living rooms
• Late Late Show was a platform for debate

12. Changing Lifestyles
• New youth culture – music and fashion
• Better education
• Young people increased interest in politics
and social issues
• Campaigns against apartheid
• Opposition to the destruction of Georgian
Dublin
• Campaigns for better education
• 1972 voting age changed from 21 to 18

13. Changing Lifestyles
• Increased prosperity
• Improvements in Health and Welfare
• Free travel for OAPs
• Medical Card
• Changes in Transport – more cars, more
foreign travel
• Decline of Gaeltacht blamed on television
• Many still lived in poverty

14. • Domestic appliances reduced the
household workload
• More women at work and improved wages
• Less influence over women from
husbands and fathers
• Women wore the miniskirt
Role of Women