Through Her Eyes: A New History of Ireland in 21 Women

by Clodagh Finn

Told through the prism of the lives of 21 extraordinary women, this remarkable book offers an alternative vision of Irish history – one that puts the spotlight on women whose contributions have been forgotten or overlooked.

Author Clodagh Finn travels through the ages to ‘meet’, among others, Macha, the Celtic horse goddess of Ulster; St Dahalin, an early Irish saint and miracle worker; Jo Hiffernan, painter and muse to the artists Whistler and Courbet; Jennie Hodgers, a woman who fought as a male soldier in the American Civil War; Sr Concepta Lynch, businesswoman, Dominican sister and painter of a unique Celtic shrine; the Overend sisters, farmers, charity workers and motoring enthusiasts; and Rosemary Gibb, athlete, social worker, clown and accomplished magician.

From a Stone Age farmer who lived in Co. Clare more than 5,000 years ago to the modern-day founder of a 3D printing company, this book opens a fascinating window onto the life and times of some amazing women whose stories were shaped by the centuries in which they lived.

Genres: History, Ireland, Nonfiction, Historical, Irish Literature, Biography, Feminism

350 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2021

Reviews

[Phillip J. O'Brien · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent book. Great insight into the lives of these 21 women and how Ireland developed along the way. Slumped a bit about two thirds through.

[Mairead · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting stories

[Kelli Barczynski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the women’s stories were truly inspirational such as Jemma Redmond. The major issue I found was that in some of the women’s stories other people were spoken about, often taking away from the woman of the chapter. Found some women more interesting and influential than others. Saying all that, I did enjoy the book.

[Eva O’Beirne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully accessible book that outlines available works, wider historiography and current studies on women’s history through micro-histories of Irish women. The chapter on Katherine Jones (Lady Ranelagh) was particularly enjoyable.

[Ayny · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was interesting and well researched.

[Sally Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book came to me through a monthly Irish gift box. The women of each chapter are strong women, some with unusual talents. If you love history or Ireland or strong women, you will appreciate this book.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good collection of some of the forgotten or sidelined women throughout Irish history. Spanning a diverse group of women from stone age through to modern day the author explores the standing of these female innovators.
There is a wide range of subjects touched upon, from science to art. Ms Finn includes a myriad of historical contexts and situations, explaining why she believes they are worth remembering. Her choices are varied and this reader at least was unaware of many of them.
With an easy writing style, that nevertheless shows the depth of research undertaken I would highly recommend this work as a starting point to explore further.

[J C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Não é todos os dias que se encontra um livro que reconta a história de um país focando-se exclusivamente em personalidades femininas, muito menos quando a escolha reflete não só personalidades ainda hoje valorizadas, mas também outras que foram esquecidas dos anais da história e cujo mérito é necessário reconhecer.
O papel feminino na história foi sendo constantemente alterado, subvalorizado e apagado, mas Clodagh Finn faz-nos refletir com estas 21 personalidades, acerca de quantas mais poderão ter tido papéis de relevo que moldaram não só o país onde viveram como o mundo.

[Eithne Murray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the women listed were extremely interesting, particularly the final one Jemma Redmond who seems to have been a scientific genius, although not a commercial one.

[Leona · Rating 5 out of 5]

My may non-fiction book was an amazing book featuring the lives of twenty-one historic women in Irish history. I randomly came across this book on X (or twitter as it was at the time) as I follow the author Clodagh Finn and I loved her series of tweets on forgotten women in Irish history so when I spotted she had a book I bought it straight away. However, it did sit on my TBR for awhile but I am so glad I finally read it. Also how amazing are the illustrations by Holly Ingram, swipe across to see some more!

Each chapter in this focuses on a different female figure and includes an illustration of what she either could have looked like or for the more modern women what they looked like. It also works chronologically starting in 3600BC right up to the 2000s. There is something for everyone in this book!

Chapters include information on:
The woman of the Burren, one of Ireland's earliest farmers, Macha a Celtic goddess, St Dahlain, Gormlaith, Aoife MacMurrough, Roesia de Verdun, Margaret O'Carroll, Katherine Fitzgerald, Katherine Jones, Ellen Hutchins, Lady Sligo, Jo Hiffernan, Jennie Hodgers, Lizzie le Blond, Clotilde Graves, Sr Concepta Lynch, the Overend sisters, Mabel Colhoun, Rosemary Gibb and Jemma Redmond. Women who were goddesses, saints, miracle workers, philanthropists, castle-builders, scientists, botanists, humanitarians, artists, soldiers, mountaineers, journalists, farmers, motoring enthusiasts, archaeologists, magicians and groundbreaking biotechnologists.

My personal favourite chapters were on Macha the Celtic goddess of Ulster, Gormlaith a queen to three kings, Aoife MacMurrough a countess and wife of Strongbow and Lady Sligo. Also I loved reading more about Lady Sligo after visiting Westport house a couple of weeks ago which is a fantastic tour and features her letters upstairs in the house.

Overall, I absolutely loved this one and would recommend it to everyone!

[D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Through her Eyes is a journey through time, introducing the reader to a new history of Ireland through the stories of twenty-one women. Clodagh Finn’s 2021 book is refreshing in its selection of lesser-promoted characters, as well as its acknowledgement that in the past women led lives ‘far more varied’(2021, p.xi) than we appreciate when assessing conventional histories. Stretching across 5,000 years, Finn aims to offer an alternative version of history and succeeds in this desire, in part due to her choice of characters. Finn’s dedication to research offers interesting and previously unknown details, such as the physicality of the early farmers as depicted in ‘Woman of the Burren’: evidence of arthritis in upper limbs, particularly wrists, ‘suggesting many of the early farmers were left-handed’(2021, p.5). Everyday aspects of life are entwined with the scientific, religious and creative, offering a well-rounded, unbiased projection for the reader.
A key feature within the book is the narratives hidden within the women’s stories; how in Brehon Law a woman could divorce her husband; how weaving was once considered men’s work; and how groundbreaking technology began on a kitchen table using everyday appliances.

[Callie · Rating 4 out of 5]

i love ireland and i love women and i love this book

[Lari · Rating 4 out of 5]

very white but still nice to read