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    Interview with Angela Byrne recorded online on 31/01/2025; Interview Accession No: 0UNA-U1X0026

    Cite as: Beecher, Ruth (2026): Interview with Angela Byrne recorded online on 31/01/2025; Interview Accession No: 0UNA-U1X0026. Birkbeck College, University of London.

    Description

    Dr Angela Byrne discusses her life, from her roots in Bray to her now-home in London. The younger of two children, Angela speaks to growing up in Bray with her older brother, her flower-shop worker mother and her market gardener father. Politics was a huge part of Angela’s life, from home to secondary school to university to her adult life. Attending Loreto Convent in the 80s, Angela reminisces on the pop culture and music scene of the time. She describes this as an intensely political time in Ireland, referencing the Eight Amendment, Ann Lovett, and the AIDs Crisis. Studying Psychology and Sociology in Trinity, Angela references class, feminism, sexual health and activism, all of which played a part in her young adult life. With summers spent abroad working, like many Irish students in the mid 80s, Angela travelled to London, Copenhagen and Berlin. At this period in her life, Angela reflects on the disappointment of the defeated 80s Divorce Referendum, the struggle with the conservative politics of Ireland of the time, the anti-Irishness in London and the impact the Troubles were still having. Angela speaks to the 80s experience of emigrating, ending up in London to pursue a career in psychology, ultimately working in sexual health services. In her experience of emigration, Angela reflects on traversing place and belonging as an emigrant and the healing nature Repeal the Eighth brought to her relationship with Ireland.

    Previews


    1 - Audio Track interview with Angela Byrne recorded online on 31/01/2025; Interview Accession No: 0UNA-U1X0026 (0UNA-U1X0026XX-0001M0r.mp3)

    Collection Method

    Úna Gan A Gúna Irish Women’s Oral History Collective


    Interviews with a range of women born in Ireland during the twentieth century or those with Irish connections. The aim was to gather the stories, memories and opinions of Irish women born in each decade of the twentieth century, about their experiences between the approximate ages of 15 and 25. The sample was found simply through women with whom volunteer interviewers had a connection or through Irish organisations. Interviews were recorded and participants checked and approved the transcripts and recordings.
    See website https://unaganaguna.org/

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    Metadata

    Dataset Title:

    Interview with Angela Byrne recorded online on 31/01/2025; Interview Accession No: 0UNA-U1X0026
    Creators:

    Beecher, Ruth
    Dataset Contributors:

    ContributionNameEmailORCID
    NarratorByrne, AngelaUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
    InterviewerBeecher, RuthUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
    Subjects:

    Birkbeck Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences > School of Historical Studies
    Keywords:

    Ireland; Politics; University; Music; Feminism; Activism; Conservatism; Emigration; London; Religion; Multiculturalism; Liberation
    Data collection method:

    Úna Gan A Gúna Irish Women’s Oral History Collective


    Interviews with a range of women born in Ireland during the twentieth century or those with Irish connections. The aim was to gather the stories, memories and opinions of Irish women born in each decade of the twentieth century, about their experiences between the approximate ages of 15 and 25. The sample was found simply through women with whom volunteer interviewers had a connection or through Irish organisations. Interviews were recorded and participants checked and approved the transcripts and recordings.
    See website https://unaganaguna.org/
    Collection period:

    FromTo
    31 January 202531 January 2025
    Temporal coverage:

    FromTo
    19672025
    Statement on legal, ethical, and access issues:

    The research proposal was ethically approved by the School of Historical Studies at Birkbeck, University of London.
    Depositing User: Ruth Beecher
    Date Deposited: 21 May 2026 09:02
    Last Modified: 21 May 2026 09:02
    Publisher: Birkbeck College, University of London

    Export / Share Citation

    Cite as: Beecher, Ruth (2026): Interview with Angela Byrne recorded online on 31/01/2025; Interview Accession No: 0UNA-U1X0026. Birkbeck College, University of London.

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