Women invade Dublin's male-only swimming spot
Witness History25 Aug 2023

Women invade Dublin's male-only swimming spot

The Forty Foot is a famous sea swimming spot in Ireland’s capital city of Dublin. For hundreds of years, only men had the privilege of bathing in its deep, icy waters – naked if they chose.

That was until one day in the summer of 1974, when a group of women decided to plot an invasion.

At a time when Irish women couldn’t even access contraception, why did this group of hardy feminists decide to fight this particular battle for equality?

Rosie Blunt speaks to poet, writer, women’s rights activist, and swimmer Mary Dorcey.

(Photo: Woman diving at the Forty Foot in 2019. Credit: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Avsnitt(2000)

The story behind The Peter Principle book

The story behind The Peter Principle book

In 1969, a satirical book, The Peter Principle, suggested promotion led to incompetence.It was written by a Canadian Professor of Education, Dr Laurence J Peter and playwright Raymond Hull. The book w...

10 Sep 202510min

The Enabling Act

The Enabling Act

On 23 March 1933, the Enabling Act was passed in Germany, handing Adolf Hitler unchecked power. It became the legal foundation of his dictatorship.But in that moment, one voice spoke in defiance.Otto ...

9 Sep 202510min

Festac ’77: Nigeria’s largest festival of African arts and culture

Festac ’77: Nigeria’s largest festival of African arts and culture

In 1977, Nigeria hosted the largest festival of African arts and culture there had ever been. About half a million visitors attended, as well as 16,000 delegates including Stevie Wonder and Miriam Mak...

8 Sep 202510min

‘How I sold my clothes and created a $5 billion Vinted empire’

‘How I sold my clothes and created a $5 billion Vinted empire’

In 2008, Lithuanian student Milda Mitkutė realised she had too many clothes when she was moving out.She told her friend Justas Janauskas and together they came up with a website to sell them. It later...

5 Sep 202510min

World's first womb transplant baby

World's first womb transplant baby

In September 2014, the world's first baby was born to a mother with a transplanted womb, making headlines around the globe.Malin Stenberg had the pioneering surgery over a year earlier when she receiv...

4 Sep 202510min

The Chindits

The Chindits

During World War Two, an unconventional special force was formed. Known as the Chindits, they fought behind enemy lines in Burma, now Myanmar during 1943 and 1944 in the war against Japan.Their leader...

3 Sep 202510min

The founding of USAID

The founding of USAID

On 3 November 1961, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) was founded, bringing all existing aid work under one single agency. A key proponent of it was Barbara Ward, a pio...

2 Sep 202510min

Discovering the Titanic

Discovering the Titanic

In September 1985, the wreck of the Titanic was discovered around 400 nautical miles off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, during a joint American-French expedition.It had remained undisturbed, 13,00...

1 Sep 202510min

Populärt inom Samhälle & Kultur

podme-dokumentar
aftonbladet-krim
gynning-berg
p3-dokumentar
svenska-fall
mardromsgasten
en-mork-historia
creepypodden-med-jack-werner
skaringer-nessvold
killradet
hor-har
rattsfallen
spar
flashback-forever
rss-sanning-konsekvens
rss-expressen-dok
kod-katastrof
vad-blir-det-for-mord
historiska-brott
rss-brottsutredarna