The 1960s was a decade of huge change for Ireland. It was a period of political change, as one generation of leaders handed over to another; economic change, as Ireland abandoned the policies of protectionism; and social change, with the coming of RTÉ, Vatican II and free education. It was the decade when the modern Irish state was born.
Ireland in the 1960s Type of source
Primary Primary
Primary
Written Oral
Visual
WORKING WITH THE EVIDENCE! —————————————
Category
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Newspapers, offi cial records, diaries and speeches from the 1960s
Interviews with people who lived through this time of change, many of whom are still alive
RTÉ began broadcasting on New Year’s Eve 1961 and is an invaluable record for events in Ireland from the 1960s onwards
Newspaper marking the 50th anniversary of the Rising
An RTÉ studio during the 1960s
Why is the launch of RTÉ such an important event for historians? How did television change how we view the past?
