Notable Galway Women Walk
I will be leading a walk as part of Galway Heritage Week 2019 featuring fourteen Notable Galway Women on Sunday 25th August at 12.00 meeting at The Browne Doorway Eyre Square. For further info email jeanne.rathbone@gmail.com
This walk evolved from the blogs I had written on each of these inspiring Galway women. I wrote about these women of Galway as my response to the two trite Galway Girl songs. I had objected to these two ditties as they were in the tradition of the male gaze songs about stereotype colleens which describe their appearance. One gave rise to Ireland’s annual beauty contest The Rose of Tralee which have been attended by the Taoiseach sitting in the front row.
Who had an affair with philandering poet and sent him 12 sonnets when their affair ended?
Which of them spoke French, German, Italian and Irish?
Who became a ‘Lady Factory Inspector’ monitoring employment laws for women?
Who did President Ó Dálaigh stop his motorcade to chat to in Galway?
Who had an affair with Charlie Chaplain?
Who rode the bicycle given to her by Constance Markievicz?
The entry on the National Heritage Week website reads states;
Join Jeanne Rathbone to hear about a selection of 14 extraordinary women who have made telling contributions to the world of Arts, Science and Politics.
Sites visited will include those associated with Lady Gregory, Margaretta D’Arcy, Nora Barnacle and Clare Sheridan among others. Suitable clothing and footwear advised.
Do come and join us and if you can’t check out some of these great women of Galway and share with anyone that you think would be interested as all these women deserve to be acclaimed and more widely celebrated.
1 Margaretta D’Arcy political author and political activist near Brown Doorway,
2 Rita Ann Higgins at Richardson’s pub where her poem is featured.
3 Una Taaffe Shop Street
4 Maureen Kenny Portwest High Street formerly Kenny’s bookshop
5 Siobháin McKenna stage and film actress An Taibhearc Middle Street
6 Garry Hynes Theatre Director on Druid Lane
7 Dolores Keane Singer at The Quays
8 Clare Sheridan Sculptor at Spanish Arch
9 Mary Devonport O’Neill Poet and playwright Jury’s Hotel
10 Lady Augusta Gregory, playwright, Abbey Theatre founder 47 Dominick Street
11 Nora Barnacle muse and wife of James Joyce at 8 Bowling Green
12 Alice Cashel Irish Nationalist and Councillor, Courthouse
13 Ada English Psychiatrist Courthouse
14 Alice Perry Civil Engineer Courthouse
15 Michelene Sheehy Skeffington, botanist and gender equality campaigner Courthouse
As you can see there is one added as we couldn’t walk past Taaffes without mentioning Una.
Here are a few queries to spark your interest.
1Margaretta D’Arcy Author, political Activist at the Browne Doorway Eyre Square https://sheelanagigcomedienne.wordpress.com/2018/07/14/margaretta-ddarcy-galway-woman/
2 Rita Ann Higgins Poet at Richardson’s pub. https://sheelanagigcomedienne.wordpress.com/tag/rita-anne-higgins/
3 Una Taaffe Galway character shop Street https://thisisgalway.ie/are-you-there-una-stories-of-the-late-great-una-taaffe/ actress
4 Maureen Kenny Bookseller and cultural hostess Portwest High Street formerly Kenny’s bookshop https://sheelanagigcomedienne.wordpress.com/2018/04/29/maureen-kenny-galway-bookseller-extraordinaire/
5 Siobhán McKenna renowned actress An Taibhearc Middle St https://sheelanagigcomedienne.wordpress.com/category/siobhan-mckenna-renowned-actor-and-notable-galway-woman/
6 Garry Hynes Theatre Director Druid Lane https://sheelanagigcomedienne.wordpress.com/2017/06/20/galway-women-part-2/
7 Dolores Keane Singer The Quays https://sheelanagigcomedienne.wordpress.com/2018/08/12/dolores-keane-singer-notable-galway-woman/
8 Clare Sheridan Sculptor Spanish Arch https://sheelanagigcomedienne.wordpress.com/category/clare-sheridan-author-sculptor-and-notable-galway-woman/
9 Mary Devonport O’Neill Poet and playwright Jury’s Hotel https://sheelanagigcomedienne.wordpress.com/2016/07/28/mary-devenport-oneill-poem-galway/
10 Lady Augusta Gregory (1852-1932) Dramatist, folklorist and theatre manager 47 Dominick St now Galway Arts Centre https://sheelanagigcomedienne.wordpress.com/category/lady-augusta-gregory-irish-literary-revival/
11 Nora Barnacle muse and wife of James Joyce Bowling Green https://sheelanagigcomedienne.wordpress.com/tag/nora-barnacle/
12 Alice Cashel Irish Nationalist and Councillor The Courthouse https://sheelanagigcomedienne.wordpress.com/tag/alice-cashel/ 13 Ada English Psychiatrist and Nationalist https://sheelanagigcomedienne.wordpress.com/2018/07/20/ada-english-psychiatrist-galway-woman/ 14 Alice Perry Civil Engineer https://sheelanagigcomedienne.wordpress.com/2018/05/02/alice-perry-first-european-
15 Michelene Sheehy Skeffington, botanist and gender equality campaigner https://sheelanagigcomedienne.wordpress.com/tag/michelene-sheehy-skeffington/
sheelanagigcomedienne
Jeanne Rathbone 
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