"The importance of women in the Church of Ireland in the 20th century is not in doubt, at least from the comforting perspective of hindsight, but the church has been slow to articulate this. An important new book by Aberdeen-based historian Oonagh Walsh, has splendidly remedied this, at least for women in Dublin." Irish Times Nov 2005 "A charming painting by William Orpen on the jacket introduces the reader to an interesting and often neglected subject ... Here is a scholarly charting of their work - not only in Ireland, for there is a chapter on the overseas missions. With an imposing bibliography, statistical among other analysis, scrupulous source notes and an interesting list of charitable bodies, their dates and aims, this is an academic tour de force." Books Ireland Dec 2005 "Oonagh Walsh's careful scholarship has revealed a hitherto half-known world of Protestant women in early twentieth-century Dublin. The book's stunning cover, which features a painting by William Orpen, will attract the uninitiated, but the text provides considerable sustenance for those interested in the expanding field of women's history in Ireland." Irish Economic and Social History 2006 "an interesting book that adds considerably to our knowledge of women's activism in early twentieth-century Ireland." Irish Studies Review 15 (3) 2007 "a delightful book, scholarly and well written, and its very attractive design, with a painting by William Orpen on the jacket, adds to the pleasure of reading it." Books Ireland, Feb 2008