Irish Scientific heroines

Ireland has a very rich heritage in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) going back to the chemist, Robert Boyle in the 17th century up to Nobel prize-winner, Ernest Walton, in the 20th century and beyond. We could probable name at least some of the men, but most of us would struggle to name even half a dozen Irish women in STEM even though there have been many who have made their mark internationally and left a valuable legacy.

Historically, women did not have access to a scientific education. Moreover, the achievements and contributions of those who did succeed in overcoming such barriers were not recognised or were ascribed to male family members or research partners. Even as recently as the 20th century, there are a number of women who, it is generally accepted, deserved to receive a Nobel prize for their work. Instead the award went to their male, more senior, collaborators and supervisors. For example, as a PhD student at Cambridge University, Irish physicist Jocelyn Bell Burnell discovered pulsars. However, the 1974 Nobel prize for this discovery went to her supervisor, Antony Hewish, together with Martin Ryle.

My talk will seek to redress the imbalance highlighting the lives and contributions of a number of these scientific heroines. It is based on a recent book, Irish STEM Lives, co-edited by Turlough O’Riordan and myself, published by the Royal Irish Academy.

Jane Grimson is a Fellow Emerita of Trinity and a former Dean of Engineering and Vice Provost.