Clodagh Finn: Fifteen lessons I learned from Vicky Phelan in her too-short life

Vicky Phelan used her voice not just to challenge, but to rock the system, and she left behind a considerable legacy

Wed, 16 Nov, 2022 - 02:00

Clodagh Finn is a journalist, writer and collector of stories. Her recent book, The Irish in the Resistance, co-authored with John Morgan, shines a light on the forgotten contributions of the Irish who resisted Hitler during WW2.

I re-read Vicky Phelan’s memoir Overcoming after hearing of her death on Monday. I wanted to compile an inventory of what she did and, more importantly, of what she urged us — the women of Ireland — to do.

I will print out this guide of sorts and tape it to my fridge door as a reminder of how one woman overcame so much adversity to make Ireland a better place. She used her voice not just to challenge, but to rock the system. And she left behind a considerable legacy.