International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8 every year, and today we’re shining some light on Irish women who are making waves abroad.
There’s so many Irish gals out there making us proud at the moment, but today we’re just focusing on a select few women who are killing it in their fields internationally.
From inspiring advocates, to top bloggers – we predict these ladies will continue to do amazing things in 2019, both at home and away.
Sinéad Burke
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In case you didn’t already know – Sinéad Burke is a writer, academic and fashionista – best known for her popular TED talk on ‘Why design should include everyone’.
Both at home and abroad, Sinéad, who was born with achondroplasia, has highlighted the lack of inclusivity within the fashion industry, and makes “every attempt to advocate for the inclusion of all”.
She’s currently undertaking a PhD in Trinity College on human rights education, and just last year – Vogue magazine named Sinead as one of 25 females who are “defining and redefining the way we live now”.
Sinéad was named alongside the likes of Stella McCartney, Dua Lipa and Meghan Markle – who she got the chance to meet last year.
Samantha Barry
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Irish journalist Samantha Barry took on the role as editor-in-chief at Glamour last year – and she’s definitely made her mark as the magazine’s first digital-native editor.
The Cork native’s appointment as editor-in-chief signalled change within the company, as just a few months later, Glamour announced that it would cease publishing a regular print magazine.
Samantha has a lot of friends in high places – and her pal Anna Wintour, the editor in chief of Vogue and Condé Nast’s artistic director, has described her as a “a fearless leader of the moment”.
The DCU graduate, who gained experience at RTÉ and Newstalk in the early stages of her career, is a huge inspiration – especially to those who work in media.
Michaela O’Shaughnessy
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Speaking of Glamour magazine, another Irish gal making waves in their offices is Michaela O’Shaughnessy.
Having worked as the Social Media Manager at Teen Vogue for years, the Galway native was announced as Glamour’s new Senior Social Media Manager last month.
Fellow Irish woman Samantha Barry announced her appointment on Twitter, writing, “I’ve been a big fan of Michaela’s work at @TeenVogue for a number of years. She’s a brilliant digital storyteller whose authentic voice will resonate with the Glamour woman.”
Michaela also runs her own blog Life of a Lady Bear, so she’s definitely one to follow on Instagram. We can’t wait to see what she does next!
Aisling Bea
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Irish comedian and actress Aisling Bea is one of our favourite people to follow on Instagram.
The Trinity College graduate most recently starred in Amy Huberman’s RTÉ comedy series Finding Joy, and she’s set to star alongside Paul Rudd in upcoming comedy series Living With Yourself on Netflix later this year.
Although Aisling mostly splits her time between the UK and the US, she’s still fiercely Irish, and was very vocal about repealing the eighth amendment in Ireland last year.
We predict big things for Aisling in 2019!
Sharon Horgan
This list wouldn’t be complete without Aisling Bea’s pal Sharon Horgan, who’s also achieved amazing things across the pond.
The Irish actress and writer is best known for her critically-acclaimed comedy series Catastrophe, which she starred in alongside Rob Delaney.
After four amazing seasons on Channel 4, the BAFTA award-winning show recently came to an end – and their final episode was dubbed the “greatest TV ending since The Sopranos” by the Irish Times.
While it looks like Catastrophe is over (for now), fans are calling for a second season of Women On The Verge – a six-part comedy drama, which was created by Sharon and Lorna Martin.
The series, which aired on RTÉ last year, was adapted from Lorna’s critically acclaimed comic memoir ‘Woman on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown’, and it follows the lives of three women in their 30s, played by Kerry Condon, Nina Sosanya and Eileen Walsh.
Erika Fox
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Another Irish lady making it big in NYC is Erika Fox, otherwise known as Retro Flame.
The top blogger, who hails from Kerry, boasts over 140k followers on Instagram and 67,000 subscribers on YouTube.
Erika has really made a name for herself over in the US, and just last year, the flame-haired beauty was one of 100 influencers featured in a new book by Amber Venz Box – the co-founder of RewardStyle and Liketoknow.it.
The book spotlights the stories of nearly 100 influencers from RewardStyle’s network of 30,000 in a Q&A format, dubbed ‘Stories From The Influencers Next Door’.
Whether you’re into fashion, interiors, or travel – we absolutely love keeping up with Erika on social media.
Saoirse Ronan
Of course, we couldn’t write this list without including the incredible Saoirse Ronan.
At just 24-years-old, the Irish actress has won a Golden Globe Award, and been nominated for an Academy Award three times.
While she missed out on an Oscar nod this year, the Carlow native received rave reviews for her performance in ‘Mary, Queen Of Scots’ this year, alongside Aussie actress Margot Robbie.
There’s no doubt Saoirse is considered one of Hollywood’s most talented actresses, but she’s stayed true to her Irish roots – and only recently bought a house in Wicklow, just a few doors down from her pal Hozier.
Katie Taylor
It’s been another amazing year for Dublin fighter Katie Taylor, and there’s no stopping her in 2019 either.
Not only did 2018 see the launch of her documentary movie Katie, but she also defended her world titles.
Fighting in Madison Square Garden for the first time back in December, the Dubliner beat Finnish boxer Eva Wahlstrom in a stunning victory.
Katie is a huge inspiration for Irish women, and we doubt she’ll be beaten anytime soon.
Sarah Bolger
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Sixteen years after she made her acting debut in Jim Sheridan’s 2002 film ‘In America’, Sarah Bolger is still making waves in Hollywood.
The Dublin-born actress has landed multiple film and TV roles over the years, and is currently starring in a brand new series called ‘Mayans M.C.’ on FX – which was just renewed for a second season.
At just 28-years-old, we predict even more amazing things for Sarah.
Caitriona Balfe
Another Irish actress killing it over in the US is Caitriona Balfe.
The 39-year-old, who hails from Co. Monaghan, is best known for her role as Claire Fraser in Outlander – which has won her four Golden Globe nominations since 2016.
The Irish beauty has been praised for being so vocal about the #TimesUp and #MeToo movement, and wore a black dress for Times Up at the Golden Globes in 2018.
Aside from her work projects, 2018 was also an amazing year for Caitriona personally – as she got engaged to her long-term beau Tony McGill.
Seana Kerslake
Following her breakout roles in A Date For Mad Mary and Can’t Cope, Won’t Cope in 2016 – Seana Kerslake has been dubbed a rising star by Hollywood insiders, thanks to her role in new horror film The Hole In The Ground.
The film received rave reviews after it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival this year, and many praised Seana for her “incredible” performance.
We’re not sure what Seana will do next, but we’re sure it will be something amazing!
