May and Séamus McGee’s bid to lifting a contraceptive ban in 1972 is focus of TG4 documentary

When Skerries couple May and Séamus McGee approached a solicitor in 1972 to raise concerns about a banned contraceptive, they had no idea that the resulting case would lead to a change in the law, one that has had a profound effect on Irish society. 

In 1972, contraception was illegal in Ireland. Although women could obtain the pill through their own GP, all retail sale of contraceptive products was prohibited.

May McGee (pictured above), however, had suffered severe medical complications during her first three pregnancies, and her doctor unequivocally warned that another pregnancy could prove to be fatal.

In response, therefore, May attempted to import a spermicidal jelly. But her intended package was seized, and the young mother was threatened with jail.

Undeterred, she and her husband, Séamus, boldly challenged the law.

Although the High Court ruled against them, a year later, in 1973, the couple won their case on appeal at the Supreme Court, and six years later contraception was legalised.

In this one-hour documentary, May and Séamus (pictured above) share unseen personal archive and deliver intimate and revealing moments, charged with emotion.

As well as contributions from other family members, prominent historians and human rights activists praise the actions of this unassuming couple from Skerries.

McGee v Attorney General has become a landmark case in Irish history.

This defining, heart-warming documentary for TG4, by Midas Productions, relives the urgency of that period and the significant implications it delivered for married couples.