The Three Stack Sisters: A New Perspective on 20th-Century Irish-Language Women’s Writing

Abstract

Within 20th-century Irish-language writing, it is rare to find Irish-speaking women who have documented their lives in print form. To find three sisters who have published their thoughts through the medium of Irish is rarer still. The sisters in question are Cáit, Brighid and Áine Stack and they grew up in the 1900s and 1910s – the height of the revivalist period – in the Irish-speaking stronghold of Smerwick, Co. Kerry. This essay will trace the writing careers and analyse the published work of the Stack sisters, from childhood in the case of all three sisters, to old age in the case of Áine Stack. Through this approach, we will gain a singular insight into girlhood within Gaelic culture in the 1910s; we will witness the opportunities available to, and trajectories of, educated, yet poor, Irish-speaking girls and women in the 1920s; and through the writings of the youngest sister, Áine Stack, we will gain a fresh perspective on the new Irish educational system that accompanied the Free State.