James Loughran (doctor)
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
[edit]Born 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
[edit]Loughran 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
[edit]Loughran 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)