During her 31-year career as a soldier in the Irish Defence Forces, Karina Molloy achieved many firsts. First female to get promoted to Senior Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) rank. First to attempt the Army Ranger Wing selection course – Ireland’s SAS equivalent – when it was considered impossible for women.

And, to date, Karina has the most overseas service as a female senior NCO. But despite a pioneering career, she faced many setbacks in an institution rife with misogyny – from sexual assault to routine bullying to promotional glass ceilings. And yet she persevered.

From Lebanon to Eritrea to Bosnia, A Woman in Defence is the often shocking story of a determined soldier who forged her way in a man’s world, and who continues to fight to make the army a safer and more equitable place for women. What emerges is a damning expose of a venerable Irish institution which has failed to defend and protect its own.