LIMERICK’S Lady Mary Heath, the original Queen of the Skies and the first person in the world to fly from South Africa to London, two years before Amelia Earhart completed her famous transatlantic crossing in an open-air cockpit will be celebrated in the city this weekend.
Illuminate Herstory, a new light festival that celebrates iconic women throughout Irish history, will take place around the country from Thursday January 5 to Sunday January 8 to coincide with Nollaig na mBan (Women’s Little Christmas).
The Hunt Museum will project an image of Knockaderry woman, Lady Mary Heath, the original heroine of the skies, as part of the event.
Born Sophie Peirce-Evans in 1896, she went on to become the first person, woman or man, to fly solo across the length of Africa from South Africa to London, an epic journey she undertook in an open-air cockpit.
Following a traumatic childhood, Sophie would go on to become a champion athlete, becoming a founder member of the Women’s Amateur Athletics Association and active campaigner and lobbyist to the International Olympic Committee for the inclusion of Women’s track and field events in the Olympic programme.
Sophie was no slouch academically, attending Dublin’s Royal College of Science before war intervened. In 1916 she temporarily abandoned her studies to join the Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps, firstly as a dispatch rider and later as an ambulance driver in France.
But it was as a pilot that she would become famous, achieving world-wide renown for her flying achievements and, for a few years, becoming one of the most famous women both in Britain and the USA.
Yet, by the time of her early death in 1939, she had faded into total obscurity. It is only recently that her remarkable life and achievements have deservedly been given due recognition.
Founder and director of Herstory, Melanie Lynch, is asking people to get involved by hosting their own Illuminate Herstory event and celebrating the women they love.
“Nollaig na mBan is a treasured Irish tradition, especially in rural Ireland,” she said.
“In the dark month of January we chose the theme of light. We want to start the year with optimism and hope as we strive for equality for all. The Irish are known as the best storytellers in the world, but until now we have only told half the story. Illuminate Herstory is an event for the people, and it’s really easy to get involved and pay tribute to the women you love.”
For further information, visit www.herstory.ie.
by Alan Jacques
