Irish-born American labor leader Mother Jones was once known as the "most dangerous woman in America." The editors of the socially-conscious magazine Mother Jones, explaining the woman Mother Jones to their readers, write: “She was a badass who fought for the underdog, battled child labor, and was sometimes referred to as ‘the most dangerous woman in America.’” She was also a … [Read more...] about Wild Irish Women: Mother Jones
Wild Irish Women
Elizabeth O’Farrell – A Fearless Woman
By Rosemary Rogers, Contributor
An Irish nurse and member of Cumann na mBan, Elizabeth O’Farrell performed nursing and courier duties, delivering dispatches and ammunition to rebels over the days of the Easter Rising. She further risked her life to deliver Pádraig Pearse’s terms of surrender to the British forces on Friday, April 28 and stood with him when he surrendered to General Lowe later that day. It … [Read more...] about Elizabeth O’Farrell – A Fearless Woman
“Sure Shot Mary”
New York City police officer and detective Mary Agnes Shanley (1896-1989) was the first policewoman to use a gun in an arrest. She made over 1,000 collars in her career and, at just 160 pounds, had the strength to subdue an adult male. Born in 1896, Mary Shanley and family left the poverty of Ireland for the mean streets of Manhattan. Growing up it seemed to her that it was … [Read more...] about “Sure Shot Mary”
Wild Irish Women: Dancer in a Rough Field
The extraordinary life of Kathleen Kearney Behan, 1889 – 1984. History has cast Kathleen Behan in supporting roles, reducing her to the “sister of” or “mother of” someone important. But she deserves so much more – Kathleen was a political powerhouse, raconteur, and gifted singer who, in the course of her long and often tragic life, managed to have a bit of fun along the … [Read more...] about Wild Irish Women: Dancer in a Rough Field
Margaret Higgins Sanger Founder of Planned Parenthood
Continuing her series on Wild Irish Women, Rosemary Rogers profiles Margaret Sanger, who devoted her life to legalizing birth control, and with the help of her sister Ethel, opened the first birth control clinic in the U.S. On October 16, 1916, Margaret Sanger opened the doors to a Brooklyn storefront and Planned Parenthood began. The centennial will be celebrated with … [Read more...] about Margaret Higgins Sanger Founder of Planned Parenthood