Based on the recovery and analysis of the letters and private papers of the wife, daughters, daughters-in-law, and granddaughters of Richard Boyle (1566-1643), first earl of Cork, this book examines how these women perceived and wrote their lives as individuals and as members of their famous family. The book explores the theme of identity through close readings of the extant texts from a number of perspectives: the figuration of Ireland; gender; the impact of civil war rupture; Protestantism; and legacy-making. This original showcasing of the Boyle women's largely forgotten female-voiced texts further illuminates how these women used the occasion of family writing and record-keeping to develop self-presentation strategies that allowed them to situate their lives at the centre of the transformations that were taking place in early modern Ireland and Britain.

A collection of papers presented at the two-day conference 'The world of Richard Boyle, first earl of Cork, 1566-1643', held at University College Cork in June 2013.-- Page 11.

The Lacy family originated in Normandy and immigrated to England about 1066 A.D. Some descendants immigrated later to Ulster, Ireland, or to Australia. Relatives also scattered (probably originally from Normandy) through France, Austria, Russia and elsewhere.