Great Irish Wives: Remarkable Lives from History

by Nicola Pierce

WINNER History Book of the Year, An Post Irish Book Awards.

Throughout history, the stories of women's lives and work have been overshadowed by those of men.
Wives, especially, disappear, unacknowledged as patrons and champions of their husband's work, as collaborators, muses, carers and managers of the family domain.

Great Irish Wives shines a spotlight on ten such Matilda Tone, Mary O'Connell, Constance Wilde, Charlotte Shaw, Emily Shackleton, Annette Carson, Sinéad de Valera, Margaret Clarke, George Yeats and Beatrice Behan.

The men in this book are household names, from Wolfe Tone and Daniel O'Connell to Oscar Wilde and Brendan
Behan, and they all have one thing in they married women who enabled them to pursue their dreams,
even if that meant courting death or outrage. Nicola Pierce tells the stories of these truly remarkable women.

Genres: Ireland, Nonfiction

288 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 8, 2025

About the author

Former ghost-writer, Pierce published her first book for children in 2011. 'Spirit of the Titanic' received rave reviews and ran to five printings within its first twelve months. In 2018 she wrote the nonfiction 'Titanic, True Stories'. Her second children's novel 'City of Fate' is set during WW2's Battle of Stalingrad. This was followed by 'Behind the Walls', about the Siege of Derry, and 'Kings of the Boyne', about the 1690 Battle of the Boyne. Her latest children's novel, 'Chasing Ghost' tells the story of doomed John Franklin expedition to the Artic in 1845. In 2021, Pierce brought out a history of Dublin's O'Connell Street. New children's novel due out 4 Sept 2023, 'In Between Worlds, The Journey of the Famine Girls'.

Reviews

[Grace Tierney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ten remarkable women, their lives revealed by one remarkable author. Nicola has already proved her skill in writing about the Titanic, Dublin's O'Connell Street, and Irish emigration but now she turns to the forgotten, overlooked wives of famous Irish men like Oscar Wilde, Dev, Daniel O'Connell, and George Bernard Shaw. The men end up on postcards, bookshelves, and the tourist trail but their wives are lost.

Not anymore. This beautifully produced book (purple hardback, illustrations, fab fonts and layout) brings us their lives and struggles to support/push/fund their famous men. Probably my favourite was Margaret Clarke (wife of stained glass artist Harry Clarke) who matched her man for talent but all the stories are fascinating.

Love the hidden female history of the world? Enjoy Irish history? This one is for you.

[Jen_reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really excited at the premise of this book. A chance to shed light on these women's forgotten contribution to history in the shadow of their famous husbands. Often the women's contribution was staying at home, managing a household and putting up with the absence or neglect from their husband in pursuit of his goal. Sadly at the time that was the experience of the majority of women. It still feels upon reading the book that these women are in the shadows instead of the main character in this story which is very disappointing.

[Amanda Seery · Rating 2 out of 5]

Would have liked to know more about these extraordinary women than what the book told us

[Mairead · Rating 5 out of 5]

Remarkable