ACTS OF DEFIANCE

Rose Comiskey

“The images of protest taken by Rose Comiskey between 1984 and 1992 are vibrant records created by an activist photographer from within the movement. When coupled with the personal testimony of her fellow agitators this book presents a cogent and compelling picture of a period of political and social turmoil in Ireland … [Acts of Defiance is} both a lasting record of past achievements and a blueprint for how to enact future change.”

From the foreword by Orla Fitzpatrick

The period from the early 1980s to early 1990s was a decade of dissent in Ireland. The Irish women’s movement and the ongoing campaign for reproductive rights were central to this dissent. Irish women were also actively involved in protesting on other fronts including Ronald Reagan’s visit to Ireland and the Dunnes Stores strike against apartheid-era South African goods.

Acts of Defiance collects Rose Comiskey’s striking photographs of these protests. The voices of the Irish women who participated in these struggles, both voluntarily and involuntarily, appear alongside the photographs and testify to the power of friendship, community and resilience in the face of injustice and inequality.

The book includes contributions from: Ivana Bacik, Ursula Barry, Caroline Butler, Therese Caherty, Pauline Conroy, Anne Conway, Chrissy Donoghue-Ward, Mary Duffy, Maeve Foreman, Ita Gannon, Marese Hegarty, Mary Hennessey, Ruth Jacob, Carmel Jennings, Freda Keeshan, Carol Lanigan, Anne Maguire, Paula Meehan, Rosemary McCluskey, Maura Molloy, Theresa Mooney, Cris Mulvey, Patricia Prendiville, Mary O’Connell, Deirdre Quinlan, Sue Russell, and Kate Shanahan

Author: Rose Comiskey
Foreword: Orla Fitzpatrick
ISBN: 978-1-917445-05-4
Format: Hardback, 186 x 255mm, portrait, 150 Arctic Volume White
Extent: 128 pages
Edition: 300 copies
Weight: .7kg
Published: May 2026
Design: Niall McCormack