Norma Owens was awarded the 2024 MacCurtain/Cullen Essay Prize for her essay 'Was the Cong Lace Industry Better than Home Rule?' The Women’s History Association of Ireland awards an annual MacCurtain/Cullen Prize in Irishwomen’s History in recognition of the outstanding contribution to Irish women’s history by Margaret MacCurtain and Mary Cullen. The prize is offered for the best original essay in the field of Irish women’s or gender history by a current or recent BA or MA/MPhil student.