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Our History

The Irish Society of Public Health Medicine (ISPHM) is the professional body for specialist doctors in Public Health Medicine in Ireland, and its history is closely interwoven with the history of Public Health in Ireland, which is documented below and gives some flavour of the changing landscape of public health medicine over the past 150 years.

1856

The Sanitary Association of Dublin (SAD) was established (Predecessor Society of ISPHM).

1869

SAD was dissolved, as a Dublin Corporation committee was established.

1889

The Society for the Study of Public Medicine was established (later to be called the Public Health Section of the Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland).

Dr J W Moore, President, made an inaugural address on 'The Position of the Public Health Section in relation to Medicine'.

1973

Public Health Specialists may have been the impetus towards the Society of Public Health and Hygiene.

1988

The Irish Faculty of Public Health Medicine was established within the RCPI. The society was formally known as the Medical Association of Public Health.

1919

In 1919 the Society requested a place on the Royal Commission on the Reorganisation (sic) of the Public Health Service and accepted a compromise on a Royal Commission for all of Medicine. This was a missed opportunity as the Commission never happened, and the opportunity for the Society to develop a more proactive role was lost for a generation.

In 1919 the Society requested a place on the Royal Commission on the Reorganisation (sic) of the Public Health Service, and accepted a compromise on a Royal Commission for all of Medicine. This was a missed opportunity as the Commission never happened and the opportunity for the Society to develop a more proactive role was lost for a generation.

The first Irish Department of Health was formally established in 1919.

1937

A paper was read by Dr R H St J Horne, Medical Inspector, Dept. of Local Government and Public Health, entitled 'A Statistical Inquiry into Public Health in Great Britain and Saorstat Eireann (1934-1936) with reference to Disease Prevalence and Certain Aspects of Health Administration'. Dr Horne showed the value of statistics in relation to Public Health.

The Society was to have fewer members in 1937 than in the 1880's because of the scarcity of MPH Doctors.

In 1937 the first Irish Department of Public Health was formally established in 1919.

1986

The Public Health Specialist Training Scheme, under the Faculty of Public Health Medicine, Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI) was established. This meant that the Society of Public Health and Hygiene was formally known as the Medical Association of Public Health.

The Public Health Specialist Training Scheme, under the Faculty of Public Health Medicine, Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI) was established.

The Society presented an Award to Professor Patrick C MacAuliffe, Head of the Dept. of Social and Preventive Medicine, University College Galway.

The ISPHM and the Faculty of Public Health Medicine were formally known as the Medical Association of Public Health, and the Public Health Section of the Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland.

Dr J W Moore, President of the Society, made an inaugural address on 'The Position of the Public Health Section in relation to Medicine'.

Dr J W Moore, President of the Society, made an inaugural address on 'The Position of the Public Health Section in relation to Medicine'.

1970

The Society's first Annual Report, by Prof. C O'Sullivan, Head of the Public Health Dept., University College Dublin, mentioned a need for a specialist structure.

The Society's first Annual Report, by Prof. C O'Sullivan, Head of the Public Health Dept., University College Dublin, mentioned a need for a specialist structure.

The first Irish Department of Health was formally established in 1919.

1992

The 'Irish Society of Public Health Medicine' adopted its name from the old 'Society of Public Health Medicine in 1992.

The Society of Public Health Medicine adopted its name from the old 'Society of Public Health Medicine in 1992.

The first Irish Department of Health was formally established in 1919.

2007

In 2007, the Society received a grant from the Health Service Executive (HSE) towards a meeting with the RCPI and the Faculty of Public Health Medicine to discuss the future of the profession.