By Ruth Cawley
As we march into March of 2025, we acknowledge the beginning of Women in History Month. Throughout the thirty-one days of March, we celebrate and commemorate the accomplishments, sacrifices, and stories of women who helped make the world what it is today and paved the way for future generations to do the same.
GRÁINNE MHAOL
Also referred to as Gráinne Ní Mháille, Grace O’Malley or most commonly Granuaile, this legendary sixteenth-century pirate queen is renowned as one of the most formidable figures in Irish history. Granuaile was born into the powerful O’Malley clan who controlled piracy and trade in the west coast of Ireland. Due to her gender, her mother tried to prevent her from sailing with her male family members – in retaliation, she cut off her hair and earned the nickname Gráinne Mhaol, meaning ‘bald’.
Upon marrying into the Ó Flaithbheartaigh (O’Flaherty) clan and later a Bourke chieftain, Granuaile took over control of the fleets at her disposal and became a fierce leader. She consolidated her power as a pirate by taking control of Clew Bay and all trade routes on the Irish western waters and imposing taxes on foreign ships who entered them. Her reputation as a fearsome warrior was also diligently earned – she often victoriously led her clan into battle against English armies and rival Irish clans. She captured Doona Castle after her first husband’s murder and attacked Howth Castle after hospitality was refused to her – they still open the gates for all guests today.
However, Granuaile is mostly known for her defiance against the English forces. She used guerilla tactics against Sir Richard Bingham when he invaded her lands and took her sons hostage. In response, she sailed up the Thames in 1593 to meet Queen Elizabeth I in person and negotiated with her in Latin. Granuaile refused to bow to the Queen as she was an equal ruler and demanded the restoration of her lands and her son’s release. Promises were made by the Queen, but they were not honoured after his negotiation. Regardless, Granuaile sailed home to Ireland and continued to fight battles for her people’s best interests. She is reported to have died circa 1603 and is rumoured to be buried on Clare Island in Co. Mayo.
Gráinne Mhaol is remembered today as a fierce warrior, shrewd politician and a symbol of Irish resistance against oppressors. Her stories are retold as legends in folklore, literature, music, and film. Visitors can take tours of Co. Mayo to the various strongholds, castles, and bays she once ruled and see her statue on display at Westport House.
Locations to Visit:
- Clare Island
- Rockfleet Castle
- Westport House
- Carrickkildavnet Castle
- Killala Bay & Clew Bay
MARIE CURIE
Marie Curie was undoubtedly a trailblazer for women, scientists, and society. She was the first woman in many achievements – winning a Nobel Prize, obtaining a PhD in Physics at a French university, and teaching at the Sorbonne. She remains the only woman to date to be awarded two Nobels. In 1903, she received the Nobel Prize in Physics for her work on radiation phenomena. She was awarded the second Nobel Prize in Chemistry for her discovery of the elements of radium and polonium. Curie is world-renowned for her vital contributions to science and medicine. Her name is known by almost everyone living and remains one of the most accomplished individuals in history.
Curie is buried with her husband at the Panthéon, a Parisian mausoleum where France inters their most respected dead. Unable to stop shattering the glass ceiling even in death, Madame Curie was also the first woman to be buried here! It is certainly worth visiting her final resting place in Paris, should the opportunity arise.
A visit to the nearby Musée Curie is also worthwhile for those interested in learning more about her life and work. The entire museum is dedicated to chronicling her journey in the scientific disciplines and providing information on her equally intriguing family, who have also won other Nobels in their own rights. Visitors can tour the office and laboratory where Curie worked and see photographs and documents which detail her two decades of work on radioactivity. The space has been decontaminated and preserved since her death and still houses many of the original research and equipment. It is safe and open to the public for tours. The museum also has beautiful gardens on display which Curie had cultivated for the enjoyment of herself and her staff. Family photographs decorate the halls and give a deep insight into her life as a scientist and a woman.
Locations to Visit:
- Musée Curie
- The Panthéon
AGATHA CHRISTIE
Famed for being the greatest mystery writer to ever live, Agatha Christie is known as one of the literary greats for her incredible detective stories. She wrote at least sixty-six novels and fourteen short story collections in her lifetime, which is an astounding number for any author. She holds the title of ‘Queen of Crime’ for her dedication to the craft.
Christie holds an empire of her own making within the crime and mystery genres, consistently pushing the boundaries of each one. She created compelling characters and clever plotlines which kept readers on the edge of their seats. However, Christie included many aspects in her stories that were previously considered not fitting for crime genre by other authors. Whereas many writers preferred to keep things grounded in reality, Christie referred to the supernatural in her publication The Sittaford Mystery when a séance-like session foretells a characters’ death. She does, however, ensure there is a rational explanation for this later in the book.
Another rule for this genre was that there should always be only one detective and one perpetrator (i.e. one responsible for the entire shenanigan). We know that Christie disregarded this rule on many occasions – without spoiling them for you, feel free to check out Murder on the Orient Express and Cards on the Table. Back in the 1900s, romantic plotlines were typically not integrated with investigative fiction, but once again, Christie often liked to add relationships in stories like Death on the Nile or Death in the Clouds. Thus, Agatha Christie is renowned and respected for her clever twists and turns and personal spins on the ‘whodunit’ style and detective fiction. It broke down all the pre-installed boundaries and opened up the genre to entirely new perspectives. Christie’s success was not limited to her bestselling books. She penned the world’s longest running play, The Mousetrap, which recently celebrated seeing seventy years on the stage.
In a stroke of irony, Christie was the subject of a great mystery in her own lifetime. In 1926, following an argument with her soon-to-be-ex-husband, she left the premises without explanation and vanished, seemingly into thin air. Her car was found the next morning in Surrey, but with no sign of Christie herself. This incited a nationwide search for her whereabouts with over one thousand policemen on the case. They even consulted with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, author of the Sherlock Holmes book series. Christie reappeared approximately ten days later at the Old Swan Hotel in Harrogate with no conscious memory of how she got there. She never addressed the subject again in her lifetime, though some experts speculated that she was in a fugue state. We are not likely to get any solid answers as to what happened during the entirety of those ten days, but it certainly seems an ironic circumstance for this particular author.
To celebrate the Queen of Crime, the English town of Torquay holds an international festival in her honour every year. Agatha Christie was born in Torquay, so there are multiple landmarks associated with her there. Christie also had a holiday home called Greenway House where she often sojourned after writing which is open to the public for tours. Hotels like the Old Swan in Harrogate and the Pera Palace in Turkey are linked to key points in Christie’s life – respectively, her disappearance in 1926 and her writing of the classic Murder on the Orient Express. Agatha Christie sold over two billion copies of her books and, to this day, remains the best-selling fiction author of all time.
Locations to Visit:
- Torquay, England
- Greenway House, England
- The Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate, England
- Room 411, Pera Palace Hotel, Istanbul, Turkey
HARRIET TUBMAN
One of the bravest and most inspirational women in history is Harriet Tubman, an American abolitionist and social activist who was born into chattel slavery in 1822. After she escaped, she made it her life’s work to free others. By using connections at the Underground Railroad, Tubman orchestrated no less than thirteen missions that liberated around seventy people from servitude. She acted as a cook and later as an intelligence agent to the Union Army during the American Civil War. Her information heavily influenced the deployment of the Combahee Ferry raid, which resulted in over 700 people being released from slavery. Thus, Tubman was acknowledged as the first female leader of an armed US military operation in times when women were undervalued and disadvantaged by society. Despite her suffering and hardships, Tubman continued to fight for freedom and women’s rights until her death in 1913.
Tubman lived her adult life in Auburn, New York. The Harriet Tubman National Historical Park was constructed in her honour and a visitors’ centre is onsite to offer more insights into her life and impact. The front of Tubman’s home is on display to the public. There are tours available of her local church and her resting place in Fort Hill Cemetery.
Having lived a difficult and inspirational life, Tubman is an unforgettable female figure in history whose efforts continue to be revered and appreciated to this day. For generations, she has stood as a symbol of freedom and bravery. Her actions helped to shape the society and political landscape of the modern-day United States.
Locations:
- Harriet Tubman National Historical Park
- Fort Hill Cemetery
- Thompson Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church
ZAHA HADID
Dame Zaha Hadid DBE RA was an Iraqi-British architect and artist who left behind a groundbreaking legacy after her death in 2016. Her influence is evident in many stylish buildings of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries and will not be soon forgotten.
One such example is the MAXXI Art Museum in Rome. Hadid designed the whole structure with a brand-new outlook on the space. Deviating from the typically linear and boxy designs, Hadid created more curved and dynamic spaces for this museum with bolder and futuristic patterns and shapes. This changed how exhibits were displayed to the public. Instead of being locked away behind glass in their own spaces, museums were able to show contemporary art as immersive experiences. Before Hadid’s success with these plans, most architects would have discounted these designs as too unrealistic or impractical. Thus, she broke down a barrier in the field of architecture and design.
Projects like this enabled Hadid to become the first woman to win the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2004, a coveted and respected award in her field. The recognition reflected her dedication to the craft and the excellent work achieved by her self-made company, Zaha Hadid Architects. They are responsible for the creation of many other dynamic structures like the Guangzhou Opera House in China, the Port Authority Building in Antwerp, and the Heydar Aliyev Centre in Azerbaijan.
Locations:
- The MAXXI Art Museum, Rome, Italy
- Guangzhou Opera House, China
- Port Authority Building, Antwerp, Belgium
- Heydar Aliyev Centre, Baku, Azerbaijan
NOOR INAYAT KHAN
As far back as World War II, women were employed as intelligence agents by both sides to gain tactical advantage. Due to the limitations placed on gender at the time, women were typically not considered as threats because their work was undervalued, their presence was dismissed, and their skills were underestimated. This enabled them to be placed as spies behind enemy lines with little chance of detection. They held a ‘conspicuous courage’ that became vital to the war effort. Statistics suggest that at least thirty-nine agents within the Secret Operations Executive (SOE) were women who were deployed to France. There were at least sixteen other female operatives assigned to other countries.
Noor Inayat Kahn was one such British SOE agent. Operating under the codename ‘Madeleine’, Khan was the first ever female wireless operator who was sent into Nazi-occupied France to gather intelligence for British forces. She was instrumental in the exchange of coded messages and producing reports to Britain which in turn assisted the French Resistance. Khan reached the rank of Aircraftwoman 2nd Class in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) and began learning wireless telegraphy (WT). In addition to WT, she received more intense training in security and field work. By the end, Khan was able to find secure locations in foreign cities from which she could radio her superiors without compromising her position.
Along with three other female agents, Khan was executed at the age of thirty on 13 September 1944 at the Dachau concentration camp in Germany. Presumably, she was betrayed to the Gestapo by a Frenchwoman for the price of 100,000 francs. Khan’s last spoken words were reported as ‘Liberté’, demonstrating her continued dedication to her cause. The George Cross was granted to Khan posthumously for her ‘conspicuous courage’, marking her as a decorated civilian and a critical reason for Britain’s success in World War II. There is a blue plaque placed in her honour at her home of 4 Taviton Street in London.
Locations:
- 4 Taviton Street, Bloomsbury, London, UK
- Runnymede Air Forces Memorial, Englefield Green, Surrey, UK
- Dachau Memorial Hall, Dachau, Germany