Includes bibliographical references and index.

"There's no scarcity of collected volumes of speeches from Ireland's political orators, yet unsurprisingly, nearly all of these collections focus on the words of male politicians. Irish Women's Speeches resets this historic imbalance and delivers some much-deserved space to examine and appreciate speeches delivered by Irish women. Sonja Tiernan brings together thirty-three inspiring speeches from the nineteenth century to the present. She shows how, from platforms in America to podiums at the United Nations, Irish women have eloquently expressed their demands, including rallying cries for trade union action, denunciations of apartheid, and calls for independence, unionism, peace, and gender equality. This anthology showcases the stirring contributions that Irish women have made both to modern society not only in their home country but across the world." - Book cover