This thesis explores the impact of James Joyce's work on contemporary Irish women's writing, with a focus on Anne Enright's The Gathering, Eimear McBride's A Girl is a Half-formed Thing and Emilie Pine's Ruth & Pen. While Joyce's reception and influence in general have been extensively studied, there has been limited in-depth research on his specific impact on contemporary Irish women's novels. By bringing these authors together for the first time, this thesis significantly contributes to Joyce reception studies and attempts to fill the gap existing in this field, seeking an answer to the central question of how Joyce influenced Irish women’s writing in terms of style and content. To what extent can these writers be considered heirs to Joyce’s stylistic and thematic experiments? How have they distinguished themselves to cultivate their own distinct voices apart from his work? Through a comprehensive analysis of the selected novels, this study investigates how these authors engage with and reinterpret Joyce’s work, particularly in relation to style and themes such as body, sexuality and gender. These novels not only connect with Joyce's work but also share a common theme: breaking silences and empowering the often-overlooked experiences of women in mainstream fiction and society. Ultimately, this study explores Joyce’s enduring influence on contemporary Irish culture and society, providing insights into the ongoing transformations of the role of women and the place of the Catholic Church in Ireland - a country which continues to grapple with a history of shame and silence.