Beyond the Hashtags: The Irish Diaspora Women Who Prove International Women’s Day Still Matters

The truth is, International Women’s Day was never just about celebration; it’s about recognition, reflection, and the reminder that gender equality is still a work in progress. Why shouldn’t we honour the achievements of the women who came before us, whether they’re from hundreds of years ago, or a few decades? Why shouldn’t we take stock of the barriers that still exist? If you’ve been feeling a little jaded about IWD in recent years, let these women remind you why it still matters. Whether they were shattering stereotypes, going uncredited for groundbreaking work, or breaking into fields once considered off-limits, their stories prove that this day is far from redundant – it’s as relevant as ever. So, raise a glass (or a placard) and celebrate the Irish diaspora women who paved the way, the ones still fighting the fight, and the ones who refuse to be written out of history.

Anne Bonny

It’s difficult to determine what exactly is and isn’t true when it comes to Anne Bonny as there’s so little evidence out there. We do know she was born around 1697, to unmarried parents, which immediately caused a stir. Her parents moved with her to the States as a result of this scandal, settling in Charlestown, South Carolina. When her mother died, Anne’s father wanted to marry her off to a local man, but instead the rebellious teen ran off with John Bonny, a pirate informer.

This led Anne to mingle with pirate groups, where she ultimately met the famous pirate captain, John ‘Calico Jack’ Rackham. The captain asked Anne’s husband if he could buy Anne off him – while John Bonny refused, that didn’t stop Anne from running away once again, fleeing this time with a new husband, assisting in commandeering his ship The William, and attacking merchant vessels along the coast of Jamaica.

This was highly unusual for the time as women were considered bad luck on pirate ships – yet Anne was not the only one. Mary Read, who befriended Anne, was also a female on the ship, although the pair would dress as men when participating in any pillaging. There is also speculation that the pair were lovers.

When the ship was finally captured, the women were spared by saying they were pregnant, while the rest of the ship were trialled and executed. Read died in prison in 1721, while it’s unknown exactly where Bonny ended up.
You can find her within the Achieving Infamy Gallery at EPIC.

Dolores O’Riordan

The lead singer of The Cranberries, Dolores O’Riordan, born in Limerick in 1971, played a pivotal role in shaping Irish music on the global stage. With her unmistakable voice – both haunting and powerful – she helped define the alternative rock sound of the 1990s. Though she died far too young at 46 in 2018, her music lives on, particularly Zombie, The Cranberries’ protest song about The Troubles, which has recently found new resonance in Pro-Palestine marches.

The Cranberries formed in 1989, with O’Riordan as lead singer and guitarist. Her songwriting and unique vocal style propelled them to international success with Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We? (1993), featuring Linger and Dreams, and No Need to Argue (1994), which included Zombie. She spent years abroad, living in the U.S. and later Canada, before returning to Ireland in 2014 following her divorce from Duran Duran’s former manager Don Burton.

One of the best-selling female rock artists of all time, O’Riordan remains an inspiration for musicians, particularly Irish women in the industry. Her legacy endures, and her music continues to captivate audiences worldwide – you can even find The Cranberries’ LPs in the EPIC gift shop, a testament to her lasting influence.

Kay McNulty

An absolute trailblazer of a woman was Kay McNulty, who was on the team of people who created the first computer. However, due to her position as a woman, her achievements went largely uncredited, landing on her husband’s lap instead.

McNulty was born in Creeslough, Donegal in 1921; on the night of her birth her father was arrested for being a member of the IRA and went to prison. When was released 2 years later, the family emigrated to the States, a move that would only assist Kay in her future career goals. She was able to enrol at school, whereas in the 1920s in Ireland, only 37% of girls aged 14-16 were in education.

McNulty was able to attend high school, achieving incredible results in maths, and when the Second World War broke out, she was hired as a “computer” which involved calculating missile trajectories.

Due to her impressive work in this field, she was chosen alongside five other women to work on developing ENIAC, the world’s first electronic general-purpose computer. However, the credit went solely to the men who worked on the project, including McNulty’s husband, John Mauchly. Once McNulty was married, she gave up work, as was common practice at the time; however, this didn’t stop her from continuing to programme the computers her husband developed.

McNulty’s pioneering work has only been acknowledged in the last 30 years. You can learn more about her in the EPIC Discovering and Inventing Gallery.

Sinéad O’Connor

Sinéad O’Connor was a divisive and somewhat controversial singer from Bray, who went on to live in London. She rose to fame in 1987 with her breakout album The Lion and the Cobra, and her song “Nothing Compares 2 U”, written by Prince, is a cult classic. She was a rebel by nature, and her distinct look was created when her music label asked her to be more feminine, and she responded by shaving all her hair off.

The greatest tragedy about O’Connor was how misunderstood she was in life. She suffered from poor mental health and was often mocked for it. She also always put her principles above the potential further success she could have received as a musician if she “played by the rules”; instead, it was more important to her to speak out on what she believed in, most notably when she ripped up a photo of Pope John Paul II on SNL in 1992 to protest the long-running abuse of the Catholic Church in Ireland with regards to mother and baby homes, Magdalene Laundries, and state schools.

O’Connor unfortunately died in July 2023, but her impact lives on – as we’ve seen with many artists before, she’s become almost more beloved in death than she was in life.

Sinéad O’Connor features in our Music and Dance gallery at EPIC.

Aisling Bea

An area where women are only beginning to receive their due recognition is comedy. The likes of Joanne McNally, Rachel Galvo, and Fiona Frawley come off the back of Aisling Bea, a stand-up comedian who won the So You Think You’re Funny award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2012; she was only the second woman to win in 25 years at the time.

Born in Kildare, Bea moved to London to study at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art before pivoting towards stand-up. Her sharp wit and observational comedy quickly made waves on the UK circuit, leading to appearances on panel shows like QI, 8 Out of 10 Cats, and Taskmaster. She won the Best Newcomer award at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards for her critically acclaimed show C’est La Bea, cementing her reputation as a rising star.

Over the last decade, Bea has become a household name, not only for her stand-up but also as a writer and actor. She created and starred in the BAFTA-winning series This Way Up, a poignant and hilarious exploration of mental health and sisterhood. Her success has paved the way for a new generation of Irish female comedians, proving that emigrant women can thrive in male-dominated industries. With her mix of sharp social commentary, self-deprecating humour, and heartfelt storytelling, Bea is a trailblazer who has reshaped the comedy landscape for women, making her a fitting inclusion on any list celebrating inspiring Irish emigrant women this International Women’s Day. You can find her within the Storytelling Gallery.

Eva Gore Booth

A lesser-known but remarkable figure in Irish history, Eva Gore-Booth (1870–1926) was a poet, suffragist, and social reformer who dedicated her life to advocating for workers’ rights and gender equality. Born into the aristocratic Gore-Booth family in County Sligo, she rejected privilege in favour of activism, moving to England to fight for the rights of working-class women, particularly female barmaids, mill workers, and other labourers.

Alongside her lifelong partner, Esther Roper, she campaigned tirelessly for women’s suffrage and employment rights, balancing activism with a prolific literary career. Though often overshadowed by her revolutionary sister, Constance Markievicz, Eva’s contributions to social justice were equally groundbreaking. Her commitment to non-violence and equality left a lasting mark on feminist and labour movements, making her a fitting figure to celebrate among Ireland’s great emigrant women.

Dolly Wilde

If you’re wondering whether Dolly Wilde was related to Oscar Wilde – you’d be right! Born during his time in prison, Dolly was his niece, inheriting both his charm and wit. Though little is known about her early years, she fled to France during World War I to assist the war effort, joining an all-female ambulance team where she met British cross-dressing heiress Joe Carstairs, the first in a long line of lovers.

After the war, Wilde remained in Paris, a haven for creatives and lesbians, where her resemblance to Oscar and sharp conversation made her a sought-after figure in elite social circles. Though never a writer herself, she drifted between the homes of wealthy friends, much like her famous uncle. She was pursued by many but had eyes only for women, engaging in affairs with Russian-American actress Alla Nazimova, The New Yorker’s Paris correspondent Janet Flanner, and even showing interest in Zelda Fitzgerald – much to F. Scott’s fury.

Famous for being famous, Wilde’s life was marred by addiction, and her tumultuous relationship with her long-term partner, Barney, who was both obsessed with Oscar and unfaithful, added to her struggles. In 1941, suffering from breast cancer, she died under mysterious circumstances, likely from an overdose – whether intentional or not remains unknown.

Dolly Wilde lived a life as extraordinary as it was tragic – you can read more about her here.

Emma Donoghue

Ireland has always had more than its fair share of brilliant writers – for such a small island, we’re very gifted in this area. A contemporary Irish author who has earned her place as one of our literary legends is Emma Donoghue. Born in Dublin in 1969, a love of literature was immediately fostered; her father Dennis was a well-known literary critic academic. Donoghue initially studied in Dublin at UCD, before moving to England and securing a PhD at Cambridge; while her studies focused in on the academic, Donoghue was writing fiction in her spare time and eventually pursued this fulltime.

She was publishing for almost two decades before the release of the book that could change the trajectory of her life; Room. The story, told from the perspective of a young boy living in captivity alongside his mother, became an instant hit, and was even shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. Following the success of Room, and the film of the same name starring Brie Larson, Donoghue returned to historical fiction, writing The Wonder, which was also made into a movie starring Florence Pugh, and The Pull of the Stars, which has since been adapted for the stage, and performed at the Gate Theatre in 2024.

Donoghue now lives in Canada with her partner and children – she’s widely regarded as one of Ireland’s most beloved living writers, joining the leagues of incredible Irish authors who came before her, both male and female. You can find her in our Storytelling Gallery.

Fiona Shaw

So used to seeing Fiona Shaw playing someone British, whether that’s the counsellor in Fleabag, Aunt Petunia in the Harry Potter series, or MI6 agent Carolyn Martens in Killing Eve, you’d be forgiven for not immediately realising she is Irish. In fact, I myself saw her first in an Irish role in the latest season of Bad Sisters, alongside other iconic Irish women such as Sharon Horgan, Eve Hewson, and Sarah Greene.

Shaw was born in Cobh, County Cork in 1958, born Fiona Mary Wilson, but moved to London in the late 70s to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. After joining Equity she was forced to change her name, as they already had a Fiona Wilson on the books; she adopted Shaw because it was her grandmother’s maiden name, and as an ode to George Bernard Shaw.

Before being cast in My Left Foot, alongside Daniel Day Lewis, Shaw was an accomplished theatre actress, and went on to star in countless plays, television series, and films. She is prolific in her work, with an incredibly wide range, capable of comedy as well as drama, and for this has got to be one of Ireland’s most beloved actors.

Upon entering the chq Building, underneath which the EPIC museum exists, you might want to look up, as you will see a giant poster in ode to the actress.

Honouring the Past, Inspiring the Future

The stories of these remarkable women from the Irish diaspora remind us that progress is not a straight line; it’s a journey shaped by those who dare to challenge, innovate, and persist. Their achievements, often hard-won and sometimes overlooked, prove that Irish women have never just been bystanders in history; they’ve been pioneers, leaders, and changemakers across the globe.
So, whether you mark International Women’s Day by raising a glass, raising awareness, or raising your voice, let’s make sure we don’t just celebrate these women – we learn from them. Their legacy isn’t just something to admire; it’s something to build on, and at EPIC, we’re always looking at how to champion Irish women, whether they exist past or present. To learn about even more incredible Irish diaspora women, make a visit to EPIC.

Header Image of Sinéad O’Connor performing at Ramsbottom Music Festival by Man Alive!, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Sourced from Flickr.com.