Twenty illustrated essays on Irish women, historical and contemporary, who have defied cultural norms around femininity and achieved great things. The subjects include Irish women from Queen Medb to Eileen Gray, from Constance Markievicz to Sonia O’Sullivan, covering stateswomen, artists, writers, activists and rebels of all kinds. Written by multi award-winning author and first Laureate na Nog (Irish Children’s Laureate), Siobhan Parkinson. Available in store and online.
Born OTD in 1868, Irish politician, revolutionary, nationalist, suffragist, socialist, the first woman elected to the Westminster Parliament, Constance Markievicz. A founder member of Fianna Éireann, Cumann na mBan and the Irish Citizen Army, she took part in the Easter Rising in 1916, when Irish republicans attempted to end British rule and establish an Irish Republic. She was sentenced to death but this was reduced on the grounds of her sex.
