Synopses & Reviews
Margaret Keiley-Listermann subverts the traditional view of the role of Irish women from the early 20th century which restricted them largely to the home and the church. Her well-researched and enthralling history of Republican women in Sinn Fein from 1905 to the present, uncovers the activities of a committed and brave group of women who were not content to play merely support roles but were integral to their cause and played active roles in combat and political arenas, often paying a great personal price for their dedication.
Margaret Keiley-Listermann has based this thorough history of Republican women in the Sinn Fein on historical archives and personal interviews. While the traditional view of the role of Irish women from the early 20th century largely restricts them to the home and the church, they did, in fact, play integral and active roles within the Republican movement and Sinn Fein in particular. Even prior to the founding of Sinn Fein, women played an active political role when their men were jailed and the women found themselves outside the scope of the law. The founders of Sinn Fein recognised the link between women's suffrage, socialism, and Irish self-determination; they adopted gender equality in 1917 and gave women voting equality in 1921 (seven years before British women). Women have taken active combat and political roles throughout the history of Sinn Fein with many of them involved in the political campaign to end partition which ran from 1921. When civil unrest began in 1969 women were again brought to the fore by the absence of men due to internment and civil unrest activities. Once again, becoming more than mere mouthpieces many women were jailed and took part in the no-wash and dirty protests and the hunger strikes, as did their men. From the 1990s women were part of the Sinn Fein negotiating team working towards a lasting peace. Since then, Republican women have taken their rightful place at home and on the international scene. Two Sinn Fein women were elected to the European Parliament in 2005, a Sinn Fein woman is a Minister in the Northern Ireland Assembly and a woman is currently the Sinn Fein representative to the USA. The book details the fascinating history of the committed and brave women of Sinn Fein and the role they played in shaping future of Ireland and Northern Ireland. There are stories of these strong women and their vital contributions to the Republican cause: Anne Deane and Beatrice Walshe in Victorian Ireland campaigning for reform; Constance Markievicz and Winifred Carney in the Easter Uprising; Margaret Buckley was the Sinn Fein president from 1937 to 1950; Maire Drumm was Sinn Fein Vice President in the 1970s and was murdered by Loyalist paramilitaries in her hospital bed; Mairead Farrell, Mary Doyle, and Mary Nugent the first female hunger strikers; and Bairbre de Brun, Mary Lou MacDonald, Michelle Gildernew and Rita O'Hare the modern face of Sinn Fein leading the party and the country through the new millennium.
Synopsis
Even though the role of women within Sinn Fein has been consistent and persistent, many historical books seem to be unaware of the contributions of women in the struggle for Irish independence. Whilst the important events in Irish history are retold with the precision worthy of mythical legends, the legacy of Republican women seems to be reduced to an obscure footnote. In this book, deconstructing the images of Irish women and demonstrating the significant responsibilities of a female foot soldier within Sinn Fein will profile a general overview of the duties performed by the Republican woman.
Whether overt or covert, these Republican women have been seen as agents of rebellion and social action. Strong, determined, and principled, Republican women have played an integral role in the political development of an independent Ireland. In a centennial review of the legacy of the women of Sinn Fein, this book seeks to raise awareness of the footnoted foot soldiers and their lasting contributions.
This well-researched history of Republican women in Sinn Fein uncovers the activities of a committed and brave group of women who were not content to simply play supporting roles, but were integral to their cause and active in combat and political arenas, often paying a great personal price for their dedication.
Synopsis
• Contains archival research from the National Archives in Dublin and Linenhall Library in Belfast
• Provides illustrations depicting the structure of the Irish Free State government and power/election flow in both current North and South elections in Ireland
• Art-quality portraits of each interviewee
• Bibliography consists of eight chapter-based endnotes with full citations and references
• Full index of names and events (referenced chronologically)
Synopsis
• Provides a baseline history of Republican women in the context of general Irish history
• Contains unprecedented authorized interviews from Sinn Fein members
• Brings the often harsh reality of Irish history alive via personal accounts of strip searching and prison conditions, and documents the personal sacrifice of women forced to balance home, work, and activism
• Provides an exclusive, detailed biography of the only female president of Sinn Fein, Margaret Buckley
Synopsis
This comprehensive examination of the role of Irish Republican women throughout the development of Sinn Fein spans a century of challenges and sustained commitment to the realization of an independent Ireland.
Synopsis
The role of women in Sinn Fein has been consistent yet variedoften in a supportive capacity simply below the surface, but Sinn Fein women have not been just behind the scenes or in the shadows. Republican women may have been foot soldiers in the movement, but they have also been generals leading the command for equality.