Unmanageable Revolutionaries: Women and Irish Nationalism

This text describes how Irish women (despite their frequent omission from the history books) have always played a key role in the struggle for independence. The author depicts the role women have played in the "Irish struggle" from 1881 to the present day, particularly in the crucial post-1916 period, and in doing so underlines the irony whereby "fellow" nationalists, despite their common struggle, remained factionalized. The book focuses on three pivotal Irish nationalist women's organizations - the Ladies Land League, Inghinidhe na hEireann and Cumann na mBan - and shows how, despite the inherent differences between the three movements, a salient theme emerges, namely the underwhelming extent to which Irish women have been recognized as a driving force in Irish political history. Since Mary Robinson's election as president, women are slowly starting to acquire a higher profile in Irish politics - a trend most clearly marked by the "feminization" of Sinn Fein. This book provides a study of past neglect, and of the growing recognition of women's role in Irish politics.