Book excerpt: This book is a collection of new research relating to Irish women's history. It is presented in sections on the themes of work, religion, political participation and gendered representations. These themes cover a wide diversity of female experience and are written in a clear, concise style to make them accessible to both the academic and popular reader. The book represents the largest time scale in Irish women's history to date, ranging from the 6th to 20th centuries. Contributors are from Ireland, the UK, the US, Australia and Russia and represent both academic and independent research. Contributors include well-known academics from the fields of women's history/ women's studies as well as scholars who are at the beginning of their careers.