Striapacha (2008)

A three-part series on the history of prostitution in Ireland, written and directed by BAFTA-nominee Virginia Gilbert, featuring contributions from Senator David Norris, TD Liz MacManus, Ivana Baciik, Mary Kenny, Dr. Derek Freedman etc. Also featuring performances from Gerard McSorley, Declan Conlan and Fiona O'Shaughnessy. Episode 1 - 'Enlightened Vice' covers the eighteenth century, examining the social hierarchy of the prostitution trade and public and social responses to it, including the founding of the Magdalene Asylums. Episode 2 - 'Poor, Unfortunate Girl' examines prostitution in the nineteenth century - the public visibility of prostitutes, the infamous red-light district of Monto and the hardening public attitudes that led to the Contagious Diseases Acts and the expansion of the Magdalene Laundries. Episode 3 - 'The Pleasure Chest' charts the twentieth century through to the present day, beginning with the closure of Dublin's red-light district of Monto, changing sexual attitudes throughout the latter half of the twentieth century and current debates on the sex industry.