This book illuminates the often-overlooked story of earlymodern Irish women, particularly those from the Protestant colonial community.Drawing from aristocratic, gentry, farming, business, and trade families, thesewomen were shaped by the religious and intellectual currents of their time.Raised within the Church of Ireland or the Church of England, as adults theywere enriched by European influences of the Reformation andCounter-Reformation: Swiss and Dutch Calvinism, Gallicanism, Jansenismand the spirituality of Port Royal.
The book explores how these women engaged with RenaissanceHumanism, the early French Enlightenment, and cultural discussions on topicssuch as pre-existence, 12th-century Arabic culture, Judaism, and the LurianicKabbala. Central to their lives was Reformation spirituality, which fosteredliteracy, critical thinking, and personal faith through vernacular Biblereadings and church services.
Despite living in patriarchal societies that often relegatedwomen to subordinate roles, these women demonstrated remarkable resilience andintellectualism. The book highlights their struggles and triumphs, showing howthey navigated and sometimes resisted the constraints imposed on them. Byfocusing on their narratives and voice, the book reveals the courage and agencythese women exhibited in shaping their own destinies and laying out theirlegacies.
Through detailed biographical accounts, the bookrestores these women to their rightful place in history, offering a nuancedunderstanding of their contributions and the broader social and religiouscontexts in which they lived. Researchers and general readers with an interestin women's history, gender studies, and early modern Irish history will findthis a useful addition to those fields. This book illuminates the often-overlooked story of early modern Irish women, particularly those from the Protestant colonial community. Drawing from aristocratic, gentry, farming, business, and trade families, these women were shaped by the religious and intellectual currents of their time. Raised within the Church of Ireland or the Church of England, as adults they were enriched by European influences of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation: Swiss and Dutch Calvinism, Gallicanism, Jansenism and the spirituality of Port Royal.
The book explores how these women engaged with Renaissance Humanism, the early French Enlightenment, and cultural discussions on topics such as pre-existence, 12th-century Arabic culture, Judaism, and the Lurianic Kabbala. Central to their lives was Reformation spirituality, which fostered literacy, critical thinking, and personal faith through vernacular Bible readings and church services.
Despite living in patriarchal societies that often relegated women to subordinate roles, these women demonstrated remarkable resilience and intellectualism. The book highlights their struggles and triumphs, showing how they navigated and sometimes resisted the constraints imposed on them. By focusing on their narratives and voice, the book reveals the courage and agency these women exhibited in shaping their own destinies and laying out their legacies.
Through detailed biographical accounts, the book restores these women to their rightful place in history, offering a nuanced understanding of their contributions and the broader social and religious contexts in which they lived. Researchers and general readers with an interest in women's history, gender studies, and early modern Irish history will find this a useful addition to those fields.
Phil Kilroy is a Research Associate in Trinity College Dublin. She received her BA and MA in History from University College Dublin and her doctorate from Trinity College Dublin. She is a historian of nonconformity and dissent in 17th century Ireland. Her work, Protestant Dissent and Controversy in Ireland 1660-1714 was published in 1994 by Cork University Press, and she continues to write and publish on the history of ideas and specifically on religious dissent and non-conformity in 17th and 18th century Ireland.
She also researches the history of women in Europe 1600-1900, and in recent years has focused on the history of French women during the Enlightenment and the Revolutionary period. She accepted two commissions to write on these themes and was based in Paris and Rome for some years to pursue her research. In 2000 she published the biography Madeleine Sophie Barat: A life (Cork University Press), and in 2012 published The Society of the Sacred Heart in 19th century France, 1800-1865, (Cork University Press). Both books have been translated into several languages.
At present she is researching the impact of the Inquisition on women in France from 1800-1885. This study is based on material held in the Inquisition Archives of the Vatican.
