Unlike other countries, Irish women emigrated in numbers equal to men. Between 1846 and 1875, half of the 2,700,000 Irish entering the United States were female. By the 1870s, female immigrants outnumbered the males. As single women, they found jobs as live-in maids, cooks, and housekeepers in New York, Boston, and other cities. The work was hard, the hours long, and the pay not great, but they had a roof over their heads, and they sent money back home to keep the roof over their parents’ heads and pay for passage over for younger brothers and sisters. (From 1850 to 1900, an estimated 260 million dollars was sent home to Ireland from daughters and sons in America). 

Fast forward to our more than 50 female honorees from our Hall of Fame, Wall Street 50 and Business100 lists in 2024, and you will come to appreciate the paving stone on the road to the future that those early Irish emigrants lay down, and we honor their memories.

As we celebrate International Women’s Day, we look back at the amazing women who graced the pages of Irish America in 2024. From musicians, to marketing geniuses, to champions of the non-profit industry the talent of these women is evident in everything they do.

Photos Left: Irish America Wall Street 50 honorees at the New York Yacht Club (Photo: Peter Foley). Center: 2024 Irish America Hall of Fame honorees John Feerick, Joanie Madden, and Dr. Paddy Boland. Right: 2024 Business 100 honorees at the Metropolitan Club (Photos: James Higgins). 

We started our celebrations in March 2024 at the American Irish Historical Society with the Hall of Fame induction of the incredibly talented musician Joanie Madden who along with her Group Cherish the Ladies celebrate 40 years of touring and making beautiful music together this year.

October brought us the celebration of the Wall Street 50 at the New York Yacht Club, with 16 women joining the list including the youngest woman to hold a seat on the New York Stock Exchange, Louise Jones. Former Co-Ceo of Bridgewater and Board member of HSBC and Guardian Life as well as a long-time honoree on the Business 100, Wall Street 50 and a Hall of Fame member, Eileen Murray gave a brilliant introduction to the evening’s keynote speaker.

We celebrated the Business 100 and the Christmas season  with one of our largest events at the beautifully decorated Metropolitan Club. The evening was illuminated with inspiring women including Deputy Secretary General Sonja Hyland, Co-keynote speaker Helen Doody, Head of Abbey Capital, and musician Niamh Hyland.

We salute the 2024 Irish America Power Women. Thank you for all that you do every day in your careers, at home, in the community, and in Irish America. You are all true inspirations to women and to your heritage. Sláinte!