Sinéad McCoole facts for kids

Sinéad McCoole (born in 1968) is an important Irish historian, writer, and curator. She is an expert on the history of Irish women from the late 1800s until today. She helps us learn about the amazing things women did in Ireland's past.

About Sinéad McCoole's Life

Sinéad McCoole was born in New York City in 1968. Her parents were Irish. In 1972, her family moved back to Ireland and lived in Limerick.

Sinéad went to University College Dublin (UCD). She earned a degree in History and History of Art in 1990. Later, in 1992, she got a master's degree in Modern Irish History. Her master's project was about a famous woman named Lady Lavery. Sinéad has said that historian Margaret Mac Curtain greatly influenced her work.

Her Work as a Historian and Writer

Sinéad's first book was called Hazel: A Life of Lady Lavery 1880-1935. It came out in 1996 and was very popular.

She spent a lot of time talking to people who lived through important times in Irish history. She also collected old documents. This work helped her learn about the women involved in big events like the Easter Rising, the War of Independence, and the Civil War. These events shaped Ireland's early years as an independent country.

Her research led to an exhibition called Guns and Chiffon at Kilmainham Gaol. This exhibition opened in 1997, along with a book of the same name. Many of her books tell the life stories of women from this period.

Curating Exhibitions and Advising the Government

Sinéad McCoole has organized many exhibitions in Ireland and the United States. Since 2012, she has been part of a special group for the Irish government. This group advises on the Decade of Centenaries. This is a time when Ireland remembers important events from 100 years ago.

She also helped with the 2016 National Commemoration Programme. She organized the program and a publication called Mná 1916. Sinéad also wrote scripts for short films. One was A Father's Letter, based on her interviews with Fr Joe Mallin. She also wrote for an RTÉ series called Women of 1916.

She was the curator for the Jackie Clarke Collection in Ballina. She helped look after and display this important collection of historical items starting in 2005. In 2019, she received a special award, a D. Litt, from the National University of Ireland.

Sinéad McCoole's Books

Here are some of the books Sinéad McCoole has written:

• Hazel, A Life of Lady Lavery (1996)
• Guns and Chiffon: Women Revolutionaries and Kilmainham Gaol 1916-1923 (1997)
• Hard Lessons: The Child Prisoners of Kilmainham Gaol (2001)
• No Ordinary Women: Irish Female Activists in the Revolutionary Years, 1900-1923 (2003)
• Easter Widows, the untold story of the wives of the executed leaders (2014)
• Women 1916-Mná 2016 (2017)