Angela Byrne
Historian | Author | Editor
A passion for the past
I am a historian of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, specialising in the experiences of women and the Irish diaspora, and in Donegal local history.
I am an experienced exhibition curator, public speaker, non-fiction author, and editor. I would 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 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 work as an editor with the Dictionary of Irish Biography, based in the Royal Irish Academy.
Public history
Bringing the past to life for public audiences of all ages through exhibitions, events, and media.
Editing
A non-fiction editor and proofreader with over 20 years’ experience.
Research
An experienced researcher dedicated to telling the full story.
Consulting
Combining knowledge and expertise to help bring your history project to life.
Writing
Author of five books and dozens of essays and articles where skilful storytelling meets rigorous research.
Transcription service
Let me help you make sense of your sources!
Books
Anarchy and Authority
‘A kaleidoscope of life stories told by a fine historian, Anarchy and Authority vividly illuminates Irish encounters with Russia from the time of Peter the Great through the revolutionary upheavals of the early twentieth century. An absorbing read.’ Prof. Breandán MacSuibhne
Anarchy and Authority brings to vivid life the Irish women and men who ventured into the Russian empire during the two long centuries of Romanov rule. Human connections, political intrigues and cultural cross-pollination mesh with sweeping historical narratives in this meticulously researched and energetically told story of the island and the empire.
Order via Lilliput Press.
Finding Mary
Finding Mary: The Untold Story of an Inishowen Murder, 1844 was published by Four Courts Press in 2025. Order here.
“Byrne has truly maxed out on the historian’s toolkit … She has unearthed the midden and heroically pieced together what evidence is available to reconstruct an event which proves at a micro level yet again, the powerlessness of the dispossessed and the uneducated in a colonised country.” – Berni Dwan
The book explores the shocking murder of fourteen-year-old Mary Doherty in rural Donegal and reflects on memory, remembrance and whose stories get to be told.
‘An elegant analysis of the many tendrils that bound Ireland to Imperial Russia across two centuries, written by a talented author who has spent more than two decades thinking about the people, ideas, and politics that traversed them.’
Dr Ciaran O’Neill
reviewing Anarchy and Authority
The Great House Revival, s5, RTÉ
Blog posts
Join my subscribers
Receive regular emails with curious tales of the fascinating characters I encounter in my research.