Murphy & Rogers/Sounds Irish, Acts Global, 2. 1930s Ireland: Law and Order, Business and Nationalism

Ireland’s early independence governments shaped domestic culture, including the local music scene. Some of the judges who applied the law had a deep fear of youthful pastimes; they restricted dancing in Ireland. Although it is not included in most Irish history books, one judge, District Justice Goff, who was famous for his dancing restrictions, also sentenced a girl who was caught kissing a boy to a month in prison. The case sparked an international outcry.