The book discusses women’s educational attainment, their lives in secondary and third-level education, and their professional struggles. Ó hÓgartaigh examines the experiences of teachers and the medical approaches of a significant generation of doctors, and nurses attempts to professionalise, both in Ireland and internationally. The challenges faced by women in other professions at also discussed, particularly the few dentists, pharmacists and veterinary surgeons.

The origins of women’s sport in Ireland and closely examined, as are the sporting careers of women, and the sporting restrictions in place in the 1930s, ’40s, and ’50s. Finally, traditional views on women and paid work are entertainingly analysed. The rigorous research undertaken by Ó hÓgartaigh in her exploration of women in heretofore male-dominated spheres is balanced by a witty and entertaining tone, and as such, Quiet Revolutionaries is a unique book on Irish women in history.