Born in Dublin into the Anglo-Irish gentry, Anna Maria Hall (1800–81) moved to London when she was fifteen where she became famous for her books, plays and travel writing. It was her book, Sketches of Irish Character (1829) which made her a household name. Sketches was so popular that seven editions were published between 1829 and 1876, as well as numerous editions in America; this modern critical edition is based on Hall's third, revised edition of 1844.

Hall’s sketches look back to the early years of the nineteenth century, when the Act of Union was passed, and are infused with memories of the 1798 uprising. In her introduction, Durnin shows that – far from being patronizing accounts of the Irish peasantry – Hall provides a genuine insight into the social and political upheaval of the period. Further insight can be gained by the illustrations; the idealized portraits of Irish women in the third, revised edition (1844) would have affected the perception of the reader. Durnin examines the illustrations and the textual variance between editions, to present a comprehensive critical edition of a forgotten literary gem.