James Loughran (29 July 1925 – 31 May 2023) was an Irish general practitioner and a founding member of the movement that led to the establishment of the Irish Family Planning Association (IFPA).
Early life and education
editBorn in Dundalk, County Louth, Loughran was the second of three children.[1] After his mother's death during his adolescence, Loughran studied medicine at University College Dublin, graduating in 1949.[1][2]
Career
editLoughran worked in hospitals in London before returning to Ireland, where served as a locum on Arranmore and later as a dispensary doctor in Ballina, County Mayo.[1][2]
In 1964, Loughran moved to Skerries, County Dublin, and established a general practice.[2] In 1969, he was among the eight founding volunteers of the organization that later became the Irish Family Planning Association (IFPA).[1] IFPA opened its first family planning clinic at Merrion Square, Dublin, followed by additional clinics at Mountjoy Square in 1971 and Synge Street.[1] The organization was officially named the IFPA in 1973.[2]
Loughran faced opposition for his work in family planning, including raids by the Gardaí for contraceptives and condemnation from the Catholic Church, which publicly criticized his activities.[1][2] He and his family also provided support to young unmarried pregnant women, offering them accommodation and assistance.[2] Additionally, Loughran, along with Drs. Paddy and Mary Randles, advocated for the abolition of corporal punishment.[2]
In 1971, Loughran co-authored Family Planning: A Guide for Parents and Prospective Parents. The publication was initially banned by the Censorship of Publications Board in 1976 but became available again after a court challenge in 1977. In 1973, Loughran supported his patient May McGee in a legal case that challenged the Criminal Law Amendment Act (1935) regarding the importation of contraceptives.[1] The Supreme Court of Ireland reversed the High Court's dismissal of the case, contributing to the eventual legalization of contraceptives in Ireland.[2]
Personal life
editLoughran and his wife, Margaret (Peggy) Glynn, lived in Skerries with their four sons.[2] They briefly resided in Sandymount in the late 1970s before returning to Skerries, where Loughran continued his medical practice and managed a family planning clinic in Dublin city center.[2] In his later years, he resided in an apartment in Skerries and worked on his memoirs until his health declined following a stroke in 2020.[2] Loughran died in 2023.[2]
Bibliography
edit- Family Planning: A Guide for Parents and Prospective Parents (1971)