In 1926, Joseph Walshe, secretary of the Irish Department of External Affairs (D.E.A.) from the department's creation in 1923 until 1946, described what he considered to be the ‘ideal’ skillset for a diplomat. The characteristics required included a legal education and a good knowledge of languages, a sane national outlook and a genuine enthusiasm for work in the national interest. Although these characteristics could apply to both women and men, the appointment of all male diplomats throughout Walshe's tenure suggests that he was not supportive of women in diplomatic careers. Walshe's biased view of women had considerable implications for the career trajectory of his personal secretary Sheila Murphy. Despite working closely with Walshe for two decades and being deeply knowledgeable of policy issues within the D.E.A., Murphy received only one promotion under Walshe's leadership of the department, as an archivist, in 1936. Walshe was appointed as Ireland's first ambassador to the Holy See in 1946. After his departure Murphy was promoted to her first diplomatic position as second secretary of the political and treaty section by Walshe's successor, Frederick Boland, that year.

Murphy's promotion marked the beginning of women serving in diplomatic positions in the department and it provides the backdrop for this important book. Drawing on meticulous archival research and interviews with key figures, Anne Marie O'Brien has produced the first full study of the appointment and experiences of women in the Irish Department of External/Foreign Affairs from 1946 to 1990. The department experienced an expansion in the second half of the twentieth century in the context of both bilateral and multilateral relations, and one of the outcomes of this was the opening up of opportunities for women to work as diplomats.

Chapter one introduces the first women diplomatic officers recruited in Irish state history, who joined the D.E.A. in 1947 and 1948. In the latter year, Josephine McNeill was appointed as the first female head of mission, to The Hague. However, gender inequality remained entrenched in the department (and the civil service more widely). In the early years, women who married were forced to resign from their posts because of the marriage bar, a gender pay gap existed, and female diplomats had to contend with discriminatory attitudes on the appropriate roles and locations for women in diplomacy. Chapter two illustrates that the advances made by women in the previous two decades did not continue throughout the 1960s, although Ireland's admission to the United Nations provided some opportunities for Irish women to engage in international diplomacy for the first time. What again becomes clear is that the leadership within the department at a particular time influenced the prospects of women advancing to diplomatic ranks.

The 1970s saw another period of change in the department with Ireland's application to join the E.E.C. and increasingly tumultuous events in Northern Ireland, in addition to wider societal changes in the context of second wave feminism. Chapter three shows that personnel in the department expanded greatly in this decade, as women entered the Department of Foreign (as it was now known) Affairs in increasing numbers and received more diverse roles, including postings in eastern Europe. Women diplomats were facilitated to stay after marriage following the repeal of the marriage bar in 1973, and Mary Tinney was appointed in that year as Ireland's first ever female ambassador, representing the state in Sweden. Women diplomats continued to break new ground in the 1980s and the department tried harder to accommodate family life. However, chapter four concludes that women remained pigeon-holed into certain policy areas. The advancement of women has been ‘slow and gradual’ and some firsts have yet to be achieved; Ireland has never appointed a woman ambassador to London or Berlin.

A feature of this book I found especially fascinating are the subtler forms of gender bias experienced by women diplomats. For example, becoming Ireland's first female head of mission presented some challenges for MacNeill that were not anticipated by the D.E.A. Formal dress and appearance are an important aspect of diplomacy but protocols at the time existed only for men. As a result, MacNeill and other pioneering women diplomats had to make the rules with regard to clothing. However, gender may also have provided women diplomats working abroad with some advantages as they could foster professional ties with male colleagues but also friendly relations with their female spouses, allowing them to glean further information for reports to headquarters.

This rich and rewarding study demonstrates strong historical scholarship through the lens of gender. It will be crucial reading for scholars and students working in gender studies, Irish history, international relations and public policy, but it also has much to offer the general reader interested in the history of Irish foreign affairs.