Mná Dhuthalla WOMEN OF DUHALLOW 1 Mná Dhuthalla WOMEN OF DUHALLOW Mná Dhuthalla WOMEN OF DUHALLOW Mná Dhuthalla Alice Taylor: Contribution to Literature. BACKGROUND TO DUHALLOW WOMENS FORUM - Mná Dhuthalla The initial aim of this project was to try and Edel Quinn: The Legion of Mary. Background to the Forum the past 14 years. The opportunity for women’s capture the strong sense of local identity that Nora Herlihy: Women’s Contribution To Social IRD Duhallow established the Forum in 1997 groups from Duhallow to collaborate and network characterises Duhallow and to project this Finance. with each other has allowed for the sharing of image positively both within and outside of in a direct response to the identified needs of Lisa Aherne: Women And Music And Song. women from the region. At that time it was information and ideas and has succeeded in the region. Through LEADER supported highlighted that many women remained hidden building the confidence levels of women in the animation and capacity building actions, this Nora Burton: The Irish Country Women’s and disempowered within rural areas. This was region, through encouraging their participation project has created new social networks for Association. due to various interacting factors including in a wide range of training courses, workshops, women in the area and enabled the forum to Nora Herlihy (Nee O’Leary): Survivor Of The inadequate childcare facilities, shortage of seminars and conferences. develop the project. HMS Titanic. public or private transport services, few training AAmong the projects that that the Forum The forum believes that awareness raising and Julia Clifford: Women And The Music Of Sliabh opportunities, isolation within the home pioneered, their most ambitious to date is advocacy is central to the development and Luachra. and absence of adequate support facilities. certainly the acknowledgment and recognition of continuation of the forums success. Therefore St Laitiaran: Women And Folklore. Responding to these needs the Forum aimed to notable women from Duhallow. In 2000 under a number of meetings were held to try and Danu: The Goddess. provide support to women’s groups by acting as the LEADER + Strategic Plan 2000-2006 and look at and approach ways of engaging greater an umbrella organisation which allowed for the Local Development Social Inclusion Programme participation of women. These ideas led to the Sarah Curran: Romantic Figure. opportunity to network and share information, 2000-2006 IRD Duhallow established a strategic core project; the publication of a calendar for Sr Consilio And Sr Agnes Fitzgerald: ideas and experiences. framework of objectives to be met over the course 2004, with each month celebrating the life of a Women And Social Change. The Duhallow Women’s Forum is one of a of seven years. The LEADER + Strategic Plan notable Duhallow woman. promoted the model of asset based community The Mná Dhuthalla Calendar promoted social number of initiatives developed initially by In nominating women to put forward for IRD Duhallow under the Local Development development through the theme “Making the inclusion and encouraged female participation best use of Natural & Cultural Resources”. It selection, extensive advertising was undertaken in local, community and their own personal Social Inclusion Programme and more recently through the IRD Duhallow Community under the Local Community and Development was consistently recognised that Duhallow’s most development. As a result of this ambitious project significant resource is its ‘people’. The people of Newsletter, adverts on local radio and there has been increased participation of women’s Programme. Under this programme the Forum newspapers and all local women’s groups. focused on enhancing the participation of Duhallow have preserved traditional and uniquely groups on the forum. This project has captured regional styles of artistic expression in music, There was a trawl through several women’s the strong sense of local identity that characterises women in community development and local names from all ages and spheres of life that decision making. song, poetry and dance. People are at the centre Duhallow, and its initial aim of projecting a of preserving, fostering and further developing were put forward from every parish and positive image both within and outside of the women’s group in Duhallow. The most difficult Nationally the culture of Duhallow and local social networks. region has indeed been achieved. Huge support Building on this the Local Development Social job was in choosing the twelve—at that we from the Duhallow region, as well as regionally Nationally IRD Duhallow and the Duhallow Inclusion Programme focused on preparing managed to squeeze in thirteen as two were and nationally has been attained with sales in New Women’s Forum are recognised as playing a and supporting the most disadvantaged in sisters in life and religion. Those selected depict Zealand, USA, Canada, Australia, South Africa, significant role in promoting the role of women the community e.g. disadvantaged women every possible role model a woman could wish England and Scotland. Through LEADER and in society. Our affiliation to the National to participate in community and enterprise to emulate from goddess to hopeless romantic Local Development Social Inclusion Programme, Women’s Council of Ireland has given us a voice development projects. The Duhallow Women’s and from care givers to social leaders. The this project has created new social networks for at national level to promote rural women’s rights forum therefore designed a method to reach both objective of the project was to recognise and the Women’s Forum and has enabled a group and equality while also playing a significant role the objective designed under the LEADER + highlight the magnificent contribution women of female initiators to become successful project in local and national policy and decision making. Strategic plan as well as the Local Development have made to Duhallow but in most cases still promoters and contribute to a collective learning Social Inclusion Programme. This innovative remain unsung heroes. The women selected process. The Forum continues to build on the Mna Impact of the Duhallow Women’s Forum project is known as Mná Dhuthalla. were as follows Dhuthalla theme, honoring the contribution and in Duhallow Hanna Sheehy Skeffington: Women And The achievements of one of these women annually. The Duhallow Women’s Forum has played a Right To Vote. substantial role in the lives of local women for 2 3 Mná Dhuthalla WOMEN OF DUHALLOW Mná Dhuthalla WOMEN OF DUHALLOW Alice Taylor ALICE TAYLOR Mná Dhuthalla...contribution to Literature Alice Taylor was born on 28 February collection of poetry was published and 1938 on a farm in Lisdangan, A Country Miscellany, a collection of Newmarket in Duhallow, Co Cork into writings about aspects of country life a family of seven. She went to school was published in the autumn of 1998. across the fi elds to Dromanarigle, which Alice is also a poet, and in October 2009 later became the subject of her best she published her fourth collection, The selling book of childhood memories Journey: New and Selected Poems. More “To School Through The Fields”. recently Alice published in 2008 her Leaving Dromanarigle she went for latest book entitled “The Parish”, this fi ve years to St Mary’s Secondary book deals with the growing realisation School in Newmarket walking the three that local community is very precious miles back and forth daily and then to and must be nurtured. Alice explores Drishane Convent and she recalled the positive values of social community theses memories in “Quench the and the extraordinary things that the Lamp”. Alice worked as a telephonist in members of a close knit community do Killarney and Bandon, later she married for each other. Alice’s books have been and went to live in the beautiful village translated into many languages. of Innishannon in West Cork. She and her husband, Gabriel Murphy, have four Alice was honoured at the launch of sons and one daughter. Innishannon the calendar titled “Duhallow Women became the subject of her book “The in Focus” whereby she gave a short Village” recalling the changing face of presentation on her achievements and Ireland. Alice has appeared on radio work to date. Also in her honour the programmes such as Woman’s Hour, Women’s Forum organized Creative Midweek and the Gloria Hunniford Writing Workshops for beginners and Show, and she has been the subject of advanced writers. These workshops major profi les in the Observer and the provided people with an insight into Mail on Sunday. In 1997 her fi rst novel, the art of creative writing. There were the Woman of the House, was published also taught how to structure their letter by Mount Eagle and was an immediate writing, story telling and much more. In bestseller in Ireland. A moving story of 2007, Alice Taylor was further acclaimed land, love and family, it was followed with the erection of a Monument in by a sequel, Across the River in 2000, Newmarket honouring her work and Right: Alice Talyor Monument erected in her hometown of Newmarket which was also a bestseller. In the spring achievements to date. of 1998 Going to the Well, her third 4 5 Mná Dhuthalla WOMEN OF DUHALLOW Mná Dhuthalla WOMEN OF DUHALLOW Nora Herlihy NORA HERLIHY Mná Dhuthalla...contribution to Social Finance Born in 1910 in Ballydesmond Village, On the centenary of the Birth of Nora Duhallow, Co Cork, Nora Herlihy the Herlihy the Duhallow Women’s Forum Credit Union Pioneer, fi rst qualifi ed was anxious to mark this occasion along as a national school teacher. After with the Centre of Co-operative Studies, researching the work of credit unions in conjunction with the Department of in the United States and Canada, she Geography at University College Cork was convinced of their potential for it was deemed that that a landmark Ireland.