Clodagh Finn: Acts of defiance and solidarity are very uplifting but why do we still need them?

In light of the selfless group of placard-carrying activists marching to save Bessborough from developers, it is heartening to see previous women's protest movements wrought change that was unimaginable at the time

A Repeal the 8th protest on O'Connell Street in Dublin in 1992. Picture: Rose Comiskey from Acts of Defiance

Sat, 25 Jul, 2026 - 01:00

Clodagh Finn

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.

It is deeply satisfying to look back and see all that has been achieved by determined Irish women armed with nothing more than banners and a vision for a new Ireland.

That is the happy thought that rushed to mind after reading Acts of Defiance (Hi Tone Books), a thought-provoking and arresting collection of Rose Comiskey’s photographs which chart women’s protest movements between 1984 and 1992.