In the Shadow of the Eighth: My Forty Years Working for Women's Health in Ireland

by Peter Boylan

In over forty years in medicine - seven of these as Master of the National Maternity Hospital - obstetrician Peter Boylan was at the births of more than 6,000 babies. He saw women and families at their most vulnerable, their most joyous, and sometimes their most heart-broken.

In the Shadow of the Eighth is the story of how a young doctor without strong views on abortion became convinced that women should be trusted to make the right decisions for their lives - and how he then did everything in his power to bring about a situation where they could.

More than that, it is an engaging account of working in one of medicine's most satisfying specialities, a revealing behind-the-scenes insight into what it's like trying to make change happen, and a fascinating portrait of a society in transition.

Lively, gripping, sometimes enraging but always compassionate, Peter Boylan's story is vital and encouraging reading for these turbulent times.


'A comprehensive, insightful and often shocking social history of the country' Irish Independent

'A hero to many (including me)' @MarianKeyes

'Both personal and political ... a very important history of recent events that have utterly changed Ireland's social and political landscapes' Irish Times

'A fascinating story' Matt Cooper, Today FM

'The book is fabulous' Pat Kenny, Newstalk

Genres: Nonfiction, Irish Literature

278 pages, Paperback

First published November 14, 2019

Reviews

[Aoife · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really excellent book that looks beyond repeal the 8th Ammendment and the examines their wider impact of the combined chilling effect of a lack of clear legislation and the wider influence of Catholic Church on women’s health in Ireland.
A comprehensive analysis of events from one of the leading voices for reform in Ireland.

[Aoibheann O'Grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an expert in the field of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, it is so refreshing to see the bare facts about the 8th Amendment and the impact that it had on women explained so clearly by a medical professional. Dr. Boylan not only addresses the issue of abortion in this book but explores how the State treated women throughout the years. A must-read for all Irish women and a testimony to the huge work, time and sacrifice given by so many throughout the campaign for Repeal.

[zoë · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent account of the modern landscape of obstetrics and women's healthcare in Ireland. Peter Boylan has been at the forefront of this field for years and this is an excellent account of the political and social climate that led to repeal, as well as the NMH/St. Vincent's scandal (still ongoing).

[Aoife Claffey · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I’ve read in 2019. As someone who campaigned during the 2018 referendum I was looking forward to reading Dr Boylan’s account as an OBGYN in Ireland’s maternity hospital. I got so much more.
Not only is his account of the referendum insightful but so to is his involvement in trying to keep the National Maternity Hospital out of the control of the Catholic Church. While we still await the new hospital, Dr Boylan’s account of how doctors and governments alike give into the pressure of the Catholic Church is frightening and eye opening

[Louise Ryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mostly a story of the author's life and achievements. Very little about the 8th amendment and women in Ireland. 2 stars only because there was some information about certain cases like the X case and Savita that I hadn't previously known and there was some insight into the grey areas the 8th amendment presented to doctors when trying to care for women.

[Suggestion_noted · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's very useful for getting the background medical story of important, tragic cases like that of Savita Halappanavar, Ms Y and Natashe Perie (Ms. P), and for outlining the machinations used by the St Vincents Hospital Group and its shareholders, the Religious Sisters of Charity, to gain control of Ireland's new maternity hospital (Despite the assertions to the contrary, the proposed hospital is still far from out of the control of the order). Demerits for the self-serving tone of much of the narrative, the convenient ignoring of the nakedly financial motivations of private consultants in the set-up of the new maternity hospital (Boylan himself was a handsomely remunerated private consultant and nowhere critiques Ireland's scandalous two-tier health system, where public resources subsidise private practitioners) and for the lack of acknowledgment of the downsides of the active management approach to labour, which Boylan implemented at the NMH and which may be responsible for Ireland's skyrocketing Caesarean section rate, and has caused great trauma in many birthing mothers whose needs are ignored and overridden in a one-size-fits-all medical model.

[patricia mccormack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Champion for an end to church control of women's health

It is a sad fact of Irish life that there is a lack of candour and none more so when within the veils of the Catholic church, it is therefore great that there was a champion there to challenge and continue to do so when faced with such an appalling Vista that in the 21st century the women of Ireland would be ruled by religious regulation rather than the laws of the state.
A story that needed to be told and not yet concluded.....

[Joanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible book written by a gynecologist-obstetrician in Dublin, providing inside analysis on reproductive rights, health, and policies in Ireland and how abortion policy was liberalized after the tragic denial of abortion care to a patient in an Irish hospital several years ago. A very insightful read.

[Danielle McConnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book to read for anyone with an interest in the events that led up to the repeal of the 8th amendment and the impact of canon law and the Catholic Church on women’s health and reproductive medicine in Ireland.

[Stella · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really interesting read, written very clearly and kept me engaged throughout. Aside from the Repeal elements which I was expecting the NMH and St Vincent’s debacle makes for a good read

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential reading to understand the struggle for female reproductive rights in Ireland

[Clodagh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting insights into the Irish system, there are some obvious oversights and biases but this is always the case when reading through someone elses lens.

[Patricia Power · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book, us women of Ireland are lucky to have Peter advocate for us. I think this book is a very accurate account of the debate in relation to the 8th amendment and if anything Peter understates his contribution. What I found amazing and disgusting in equal measure was the relationship between church and state and the Catholic church's apparent upper hand in that relationship, again thanks to Peter for highlighting this. This is a book that everybody should read.