14 Irish scientists worth celebrating on International Women’s Day (infographic)

7 Mar 2016

Ahead of International Women’s Day on 8 March, the Irish Research Council (IRC) has highlighted 14 incredibly-gifted women scientists from Ireland’s past.

The International Women’s Day celebration is part of the IRC’s 2016 campaign called #LoveIrishResearch, which aims to show off Ireland’s contribution to breakthrough research.

As the IRC, worryingly, found out prior to the campaign’s launch last January , the general public isn’t particularly aware of our greatest research achievements.

So, to mark International Women’s Day, the IRC has curated an infographic of 14 of the top Irish scientists of the past who made their mark in research we still use today.

From pioneering research into bog bodies to laying the foundations for the development of astrophysics, historically, Irish women have an impressive record in terms of research discoveries and breakthroughs.

From astrophysics to WWII computers

Among the women included in the infographic are internationally-renowned mathematician Alicia Boole Stott and Dorothy Stopford Price, who introduced the BCG (tuberculosis) vaccine into Ireland.

Not to mention Kay McNulty Mauchly Antonelli who – as a member of the women-only Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer team – programmed the first digital computer during World War II, and Charlotte Brooke, a pioneer of Irish literature in English who is hailed as a forerunner of the Irish literary revival.

Click on the image below to get a closer look at the 14 women’s profiles.

IRC IWD infographic

Botanic Gardens glasshouse image via Bartkowski/Shutterstock

Colm Gorey was a senior journalist with Silicon Republic

editorial@siliconrepublic.com