In her beauty and in her obscurity, Ireland has been called, and not inappropriately, “the Cinderella of the Empire.” Her children, when opportunity offers, possess the capabilities of achieving much that is praiseworthy; for Nature has never been niggard of her physical and intellectual gifts to the Irish race; and to preserve in a collected form the names and achievements of some of the more gifted daughters of Erin, has been the silent patriotism of my life.

I am painfully aware of the many deficiencies to be found in these volumes; but I would beg the indulgence of the public, on the plea that this is the first time a work of this kind—dealing solely with memoirs of Irishwomen—has been attempted. It had been my original intention to have included notices of some living Irishwomen, whose lives and labours entitle them to a place in a work of this nature; but, acting upon the advice of those more qualified to judge, have refrained from doing so.

There is a good deal of original matter in the book; I would especially mention some hitherto unpublished poems by William Wordsworth, and the true history of the romantic friendship of the “Ladies of Llangollen.” For these I tender my best thanks to Charles W. Hamilton, Esq., of Hamwood, Clonee, County Meath, who placed his valuable collection of MSS. and letters at my disposal.