Great Irish Wives

Throughout history, the stories of women's lives and work have been pushed behind those of male figures. Wives, especially, disappear, unacknowledged as patrons and champions of the men’s work, as collaborators, muses, secretaries, research assistants, carers, defenders and as managers of the family domain. Great Irish Wives shines a spotlight on ten such wives: Matilda Tone, Mary O’Connell, Constance Wilde, Charlotte Shaw, Emily Shackleton, Annette Carson, Sinéad de Valera, Margaret Clarke, George Yeats and Beatrice Behan. Drawing on archives, biographies, autobiographies and historical accounts, Nicola Pierce challenges our perception of these women and their men.