‘Brought in Dead’: Post-Mortem Glimpses of the Early ‘Heroin Epidemic’ in Ireland, 1971–1983

Summary: This article explores the formation of Ireland’s first ‘hard drug’ culture. To do this, it uses the coroners’ reports on drug-related deaths in Dublin between 1971, when the first overdose by a regular user was recorded, and 1983, when the first Irish ‘heroin epidemic’ peaked. Through these reports, the article constructs a macro-view of the demographics involved in ‘hard drug’ use and the changing trends within the subculture. It contrasts this overview with the lived experience of the drug culture by developing a series of micro-histories of specific people who used drugs during this period, which both illustrate and counterpoint the statistical trends. In doing so, it demystifies the ‘hard drug’ culture and reinserts it into the history of Irish everyday life.