Book of the Month - By Kathleen Thorne

Wild Irish Women
By Marian Broderick

Published by O’Brien
Cost € 11.95

Wild irish women contains the stories of many Irish women who broke the mould in their time. They come from all corners of life - there are writers, would-be politicians, saints, wise women, travellers and artists. What they all have in common is independence of spirit and a fearlessness in the face of opposition.

Foremost amongst them is Grace O'Malley or Granuaile as she is also known. She was only in her twenties when she took over the management of clan affairs from her inept husband. Not only did she succeed in this task, she also became captain of his ships and won the title of "the nurse of all rebellions."

In the 16th century she was a shrewd operator and a fearless fighter. She married and was several times widowed and divorced. She faced down Queen Elizabeth I, and got what she wanted from her. She encountered disaster several times and managed to recover successfully. Granuaile earned herself a reputation that has survived to this day. Her story is still awe inspiring.

Maria Edgeworth came from an Anglo-Irish background in Co. Longford. She wrote the famous novels, Castle Rackrent and The Absentee. She collaborated with her father in 1798 on an educational book entitled Practical Education. It was based on the writings of Henri Rousseau and explored childcare methods such as "the relevance of play and the importance of the natural impulses of the child." Because of this, she became famous in the USA.

She wrote copiously throughout her life and at the same time managed the affairs of the family estate in Edgeworthstown. Like so many of the extraordinary women whose lives are documented in this book, Maria was independent minded, courageous and competent in several fields.

One of the more interesting accounts in Wild Irish Women is that of Dr James Barry. As her name suggests, there are questions surrounding her gender. She was born in Cork in 1799. However, while still a child, she was taken by her mother to London to live with an uncle, James Barry.

Barry was an artist and well connected. He and some friends decided that the clever little girl should become a doctor. But in the early 1800s this was unthinkable. Girls in those days were not permitted to go to university, much less become a doctor. So they decided she should masquerade as a boy.

Even though she was small and very young she passed through university and became a most successful doctor. She subsequently managed to hold some of the most important medical positions in the British Empire. Only when she died was the question of her gender finally resolved.

The story of Biddy Early is familiar to many Irish people. In the nineteenth century she knew how to use wild herbs to treat people and cattle. It was for her blue bottle that she became most famous. By looking into this bottle she could tell the future. People believed she could mediate for them with the fairies.

The clergy did not approve of the power she had over the people. She was accused in court of witchcraft under a 300-year-old law, but she got off for lack of evidence. In that event she was more fortunate than her contemporary Bridget Cleary. The story of the unfortunate Bridget is also in this book.

There are so many fascinating stories of Irish women in Wild Irish Women, it would be impossible to do it justice in this short review. In a way each story is a potted history of a subject that would merit a book in its own right. However, perhaps a little knowledge is better than knowing nothing at all about these forebears of ours. It would make good reading for the lull after the Christmas dinner.

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