Mná na hÉireann

A unique spectacular show telling the compelling story of the women who shaped modern Irish history; A mesmerising weave of Irish dance, contemporary theatre and movement, with Irish music, song and spoken word.

Created and produced by former Riverdance Irish Dance Director and three-time World Irish Dancing Champion Carol Leavy Joyce, Mná na hÉireann traces a defining period between 1912 and 1918, when women fought not only for social and political change, but also to preserve and strengthen Ireland’s cultural identity.

The production focuses on women from different backgrounds and classes whose lives became intertwined with the cultural and political upheaval of the period, among them Countess Markievicz, Nurse Elizabeth O’Farrell, Julia Grenan, Dr Kathleen Lynn, Winifred Carney and Grace Gifford.

O’Farrell, who carried the surrender from Pádraig Pearse to Brigadier-General William Lowe following the Easter Rising in April 1916, is a particular focus of the production.

Through dance, music and theatre, Mná na hÉireann seeks to step beyond the familiar historical narrative and bring audiences closer to the women themselves: their friendships, determination, loyalty, courage, loss and enduring influence.