2This book tells the story of five Irish women who were unusual in a variety of ways - mostly because of their ruthlessness, political cunning or merely because they rebelled violently against the repressive mores of their times. These five women - Aoibheall the banshee, Máire Rua McMahon, Lady Betty, Moll Shaughnessy and Alice Kyteler - each have their distinct place in history. Eddie Lenihan, in telling the stories of their lives and the legends that grew up around them, ensures that we will not forget the prominent part played by these women in our Irish heritage.