Far from being an insignificant sub-group, aristocratic women played important roles within their country homes and in wider society. This research, which focuses on the period of great social, political and economic change, 1870-1918, examines the role of women in relation to their feminine duties, how aspects of their social lives including marriage arrangements and leisure activities changed over the period, and the diversity of roles they assumed during the Great War. The role of aristocratic women and the Irish country house has been an overlooked aspect of Irish history with the result that few published works exist on the topic. By means of a case study, aristocratic women step forth from the dusty letters and diaries of family archives lending their words to provide a more nuanced understanding of their roles and experiences in a staunchly patriarchal society.