Surveys the lives and works of Irish women writers active in a range of genres and periods. Ireland has an especially lively literary tradition, and works by Irish writers have long been recognised as interesting and influential. While male writers have received the bulk of the critical attention given to Irish literature, contemporary women writers are among the most widely read Irish authors. This reference work provides an overview of the lives and works of Irish women writers active in a range of periods and genres. Included are roughly 75 alphabetically arranged entries written by more than 35 expert contributors. Among the writers discussed are: Elizabeth Bowen; Mary Dorcey; Lady Isabella Augusta Gregory; Anne Hartigan; Norah Hoult; Paula Meehan; Irish Murdoch; Edna O'Brien; Katharine Tynan; Sheila Wingfield, and many more. Each entry includes a brief biography, a discussion of major works and themes, a review of the writer's critical reception, and a list of works by and about the writer. The volume closes with a selected, general bibliography.