There have been calls for the empowerment of midwives m Ireland and internationally. This study explores past and present issues relating to power and empowerment in midwifery in Ireland. Historical research was carried out into particular episodes involving power in the history of midwifery regulation. Specifically, the background to the 1950 Nurses Act and its impact on midwifery was analysed. The findings provide a greater understanding of the broader social and political contexts within which midwifery practice and policy-making take place. They highlight the complex and contingent power relations and processes involved in midwifery’s history. Survey research was undertaken to elicit midwives’ views about the conditions important for empowerment and their perceptions of their own levels of these conditions. Two crosssectional surveys using random national samples of practising midwives were carried out, in 2002 (n=95) and 2005 (n=244). This research identified that empowerment in midwifery involves three domains: Autonomous practice, Effective management and Women-centred practice. These three domains comprise the sub-scales of the Perceptions of the Conditions for Empowerment in Midwifery Scale, developed and psychometrically evaluated in this study. This research provides valuable insights into issues of power and empowerment in midwifery and identifies the means by which midwives can fully contribute to the Irish maternity care system.