Illustrious Irishwomen
Being Memoirs of Some of the Most Noted Irishwomen from the Earliest Ages to the Present Century

The first collection of detailed biographies of famous Irish women, first published in 1877.

E. Owens Blackburne (Author)

9781108021067, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 23 September 2010

430 pages
21.6 x 14 x 2.4 cm, 0.55 kg

Elizabeth Owens Blackburne (1848–1894) was an Irish professional writer, novelist and biographer whose novels were mostly set in Ireland. After attending Trinity College, Dublin she published her first work in 1869, and moved to London in 1873 to pursue her career as a writer. These volumes, first published in 1877, contain a series of detailed biographies of Irish women who Blackburne considered pre-eminent. The biographies cover a broad range of women, including the semi-mythical Saint Brigit and Queen Macha, and are arranged chronologically. These volumes were the first biographical reference of Irish women to be published, and the balanced descriptions and extensive use of original sources ensure that they remain of value as a reference for researchers and historians. Volume 1 contains twenty biographies of Irish women from the early and medieval periods to the nineteenth century.

Preface
Part I. Early Irish Period: 1. Introductory chapter
2. Queen Macha
3. Queen Méave
4. Saint Brigit
5. Dearbhforguill
6. Eva, Princess of Leinster
Part II. Mediaeval Period: 7. Margaret O'Carroll
8. The Old Countess of Desmond
9. The Fair Geraldine
10. Grainne O'Mailly
11. Lettice, Baroness Ophaly
12. La Belle Hamilton
Part III. Famous Actresses: 13. Margaret Woffington
14. George Anne Bellamy
15. 'Perdita' (Mrs. Robinson)
16. Kitty Clive
17. Dorothy Jordan
18. Elizabeth Farren
19. Maria Pope
20. Miss O'Neill
21. Catherine Hayes
Index.

Subject Areas: Literary studies: c 1800 to c 1900 [DSBF]