My name is Angela Byrne and I’m a historian of eighteenth and nineteenth century travel, exploration and emigration, specialising in the experiences of women and migrants in the past.

I am a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, a Member of the Irish Association for Professional Historians, and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. I am an experienced public speaker, non-fiction author, and editor. I’d be delighted to speak with you about how I can participate in your event, contribute to your research project, or assist with your editorial needs. Please get in touch using the ‘contact’ button. 

I earned a double honours BA in History and English in 2003 and a PhD in History in 2009, both at National University of Ireland Maynooth. I completed part of my postgraduate study at Voronezh State University, Russia. I have held research and lecturing positions at University of Toronto, University of Greenwich, NUI Maynooth, Ulster University, and the Royal Irish Academy. In 2018–19, I was inaugural Historian-in-Residence at EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum.

Finally, if you are wondering why I’ve chosen the name ‘Historianka’ – I grew up in a house full of books and where TV was limited, so I’ve loved history and literature since I was a small child. My first serious foray into historical research was as a postgraduate student, when I studied Irish visitors to Russia in the eighteenth century (a topic I’m still obsessed with). That project emerged from my love of travel and travel writing, and a long fascination with Russian history and culture. The name ‘Historianka’ is my way of holding onto those early passions, as I explore other aspects of the past.