Deep end

by Ger Philpott

In Deep End Ger Philpott describes his turbulent relationship with his lover Paul who was one of the first people in Ireland to die from AIDS. This frank account tells how he had to contend with the forces of an unaccepting society whilst dealing with his grief. Much more than a personal story, Ger Philpott chronicles the developing AIDS crisis in Ireland.

242 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Rosamund Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1983, Philpott's partner, Paul, died of AIDS. He may have been the first person in Ireland to die of AIDS, though at the time no one understood what his illness was. In the aftermath of his partner's death, Philpott was adrift: he was offered little understanding or sympathy from the people around him. Homosexuality would not be legalised in Ireland for another 10 years, and Philpott lost two different teaching jobs because he was known to be gay. In this hostile environment, Philpott gradually finds some meaning by working as an AIDS activist. The Irish state is sluggish to do anything to help AIDS patients or to educate people about the dangers of contracting HIV, and Philpott heads one of the organisations working to promote AIDS awareness. This memoir was published in 1995: at the end, Philpott celebrates the legalisation of homosexuality, but continues to fear the spread of HIV.

I found this memoir fascinating because, as a lesbian born in 1989, I know very little about this period of time, and queer histories are rapidly lost, because they are not systematically saved. That makes this an important book in Irish queer history, and in the history of the AIDS crisis. Philpott is not an accomplished writer -- the book suffers from repetition and clunky dialogue -- but it is engaging and emotional. I found it a fascinating and very worthwhile read -- it would be great if it were to be republished, perhaps with a few more concluding chapters to bring it more up-to-date.

[Philippa · Rating 5 out of 5]

We occasionally bump into Ger around Dublin city centre, he's usually accompanied by a beautiful dog! So when I found this second-hand book in the Trinity Book Sale some time ago I was intrigued. I hadn't heard of it but it was a great find!
The book is an account of gay life in Ireland from the 1970s to 1990s. It covers a lot of his life, exploring his sexuality, the death of his partner Paul from AIDS and the reluctance of Irish politicians to acknowledge the dangers of the disease. The author doesn't pull any punches in his opinions of how the health service and the media dealt with the AIDS crisis and the book goes on to describe Ger's work in educating the public and politicians, through media interviews and meetings, mainly through the organisation AIDSWISE. It is a very revealing and honest memoir and a valuable insight into the horrors of AIDS, for so long denied by authorities worldwide and how the disease affected an entire generation of gay men and many others.
It may be difficult to find (it was published in 1995) but it could be useful to historians and those interested in the history of AIDS activism in Ireland. It would be great to get an expanded, new edition with Ger's perspective looking back on how the information campaigns around AIDS have expanded since the book was published.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

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