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path breaking 03 women 17 path breaking 03 women 17 PATH BREAKING WOMEN OF member or student who made remarkable Alice Jacqueline Perry NUI GALWAY: 1912-1922 AND BEYOND but little-known contributions across the is a response to the state’s Decade of arts, sciences and political life, in the years Mary Donovan-O’Sullivan Centenaries programme. The latter fosters before and after 1916, or subsequently in Emily Anderson inclusive reflection on the events and the first decades of Irish independence. The forces that propelled the establishment of exhibition underlines the context of social Ada English independent Ireland and set its trajectory reform campaigns that animated Ireland in Síle ní Chinneide over the last 100 years. As such, it is an apt the early 20th century, including struggles time to make visible and revalue the varied for suffrage and women’s access to education Celia Quinn Lynch and significant contributions of women to and professional employment, as well as Margaret Heavey public life over this period, including the later efforts for progressive social change national university, and also to consider and women’s rights in modernising Ireland. Maureen McHugh O’Carroll how events in the public domain shaped In doing so, it aims to encourage dialogue the horizon of possibility available to and reflection on the roles of women in the Maírín de Valera women in the “new Ireland”. In this spirit, university and Irish society more generally Nora Niland Path Breaking Women of NUI Galway and on what can be learned from the past foregrounds a selection of 12 women to assist in addressing the gender equality Caitlín Maude from diverse social, political and religious challenges of the present. Lorna Reynolds backgrounds. Each one is a former faculty – N. Reilly Acknowledgements The curator and principal investigator contributed to this initiative are: of Bliainiris; local writer, Mary J. of this project is Prof. Niamh Reilly, Gillian Browne, Dr. Anne Byrne, Murphy; and John Donnellan, Duras School of Political Science and Prof. Dan Carey, John Caulfield, House, Kinvara. Finally, particular Sociology, NUI Galway. Contributing Prof. Jane Conroy, Aoife Cooke, gratitude goes to family members of researchers were Mary Clancy and Dr. Dr. Caitríona Clear, Prof. Elizabeth some of the women profiled in this Muireann O’Cinneide. Postgraduate Fitzpatrick, Lorna Farren, Dr. Rachel exhibition for providing images and research assistance was provided by Hilliard, Liz McConnell, Dr. Padraic biographical information including: Ashley Brouder and Alba Ubieto Moran, Dr. Pat Morgan, Dr. Riana Brian Lynch, Eilish O’Carroll, Frances Oliván. Particular thanks to designers, O’Dwyer, Dr. Rosaleen O’Neill, Dr. and Stephanie Fitzgerald-Smith, and Aideen Allen and Neasa White, and Tina Karen Pusse, Prof. Anne Scott Dr. Tony Power. to Aideen for invaluable project and Martha Shaughnessy. The project management support. This project is indebted to colleagues in Library The Path Breaking Women of NUI was developed in conversation services: Marie Boran, John Cox, Galway project was supported by with colleagues in the Gender ARC Geraldine Curtin, Kieran Hoare, the IRC New Foundations scheme research network, Centre for Global Barry Houlihan and Ann Mitchell. 2015, with additional funding Women’s Studies and the University Special thanks also to An tSeirbhís provided by the School of Political Women’s Network. The Gender ARC Aistriúcháin, Acadamh. Beyond Science and Sociology, the Centre conference GENDER InEQUALITY NUI Galway, assistance was kindly for Global Women’s Studies and the in December 2015 played a catalysing provided by staff at: UCD Archives; Moore Institute for Research in the role in shaping the concept. Valued Sligo County Libraries; The Model, Humanities and Social Studies, NUI input has been received from the Sligo; The Galway Advertiser; and the Galway. offices of the President and Vice British Library and National Archives. President for Equality and Diversity. Thanks also for assistance provided Design by Allen Creative. Print and Individuals who have supported or by Prof. Ruairí O’hUiginn, editor production by Dynasigns. Alice Jacqueline Perry (1885-1969) was born in Galway and educated at the local High School and Queen’s College, Galway, graduating with a first-class honours BE (1906). Her father and uncle were engineers and her Context sisters and aunt were university graduates. The decade before 1916 was a dynamic period She was the first woman engineer in Ireland of activism in Ireland for and against Home or Britain, a much lauded achievement. Alice Rule, votes for women, rights for workers, Perry’s mother, Martha, died in 1905 and her social welfare reforms and Gaelic cultural father, James, died shortly after her graduation. revival. While Queen’s College, Galway She was appointed Interim County Surveyor admitted female students in the 1880s, very in place of her father, which saw her travelling few women completed degrees in engineering. around the county during the winter months Alice Perry was among a small number inspecting roads, bridges and buildings for the of women worldwide to achieve this path council. This was a remarkable public role for breaking distinction. After the dramatic events a young woman. She was not appointed to the of World War I and the Easter Rising in 1916, permanent position, ending the career of the like many from a similar social and religious country’s first woman county engineer, and background, Alice Perry made a life outside subsequently worked as a factory inspector of Ireland. in England and Scotland. In 1916 Alice Perry married John Shaw who was killed the – N. Reilly following year in the First World War. She converted to the Church of Christian Science and emigrated to Boston, USA where she published several volumes of religious poetry as Alice Jacqueline Shaw. She died in Los Alice Jacqueline Perry circa 1906, reproduced Angeles in April, 1969. by kind permission of NUI Galway Archives. – M. Clancy Mary Donovan O’Sullivan, circa 1940s, reproduced by kind permission of NUI Galway Archives. Mary Donovan (1887- 1966) was born in Galway and educated in the Dominican Convent and Queen’s College Galway. A prize-winning scholar in school and university, Context she gained a BA (1908) and took first place The Irish Universities Act 1908 dissolved in Ireland in the MA (1909). In 1914, she was the Queen’s Colleges in the south of Ireland, appointed the first Professor of History at UCG, establishing two universities on the island: a position she held until the 1950s. She was the National University of Ireland, consisting active in women’s suffrage, arguing for equality of UCG, UCC and UCD, and Queen’s in wages, education and the professions, and University Belfast. Ostensibly a solution to acting as suffrage librarian. Mary Donovan, who the long running question of how to ensure married UCG graduate Jeremiah O’Sullivan equitable provision of university education in 1915, engaged in war-work and recruiting for Catholics in Ireland, the act also reflected during the First World War. She was visible a major achievement for women who were on academic committees and was elected to now admitted to all degrees and offices of the Governing Body, UCG, the Senate of the the new National University of Ireland. The National University of Ireland, and the Royal university and Mary Donovan benefited from Irish Academy. She represented the NUI at this legislation as she commenced her tenure international historical congresses. Locally, as UCG’s first female professor in 1914. In Donovan O’Sullivan supported the Galway the same year, World War I broke out and Archaeological and Historical Society, and edited implementation of home rule was postponed – the society journal. She was especially known for events that would shape Mary Donovan’s role Old Galway (1942) and in 1943, she was awarded as a public historian. a D. Litt for published works. She looked to European influences, campaigned for a modern – N. Reilly art gallery in Galway and was active in organised mid-twentieth century feminism including the Women Graduates Association. Mary Donovan O’Sullivan died in July 1966 and is buried in Galway. – M. Clancy Emily Anderson as a child, The Anderson Family Photographs, reproduced by kind permission of NUI Galway Archives. Emily Anderson (1891-1962), born in Galway and educated in University College Galway (BA, 1911), was from a prominent academic family. Her father, Alexander Anderson, was president Context of the university, her aunt, Bessie Anderson, The first decade of the 20th century was a and her sisters, Elizabeth and Helen, were period of expansion for women’s suffrage graduates. Her mother, Emily, was active in organisations. Efforts to achieve equality in social reform and war-work. A prize-winning higher education went hand in hand with student, Emily Anderson spent time studying struggles for women’s citizenship rights. It was and working in Germany and Barbados before a time of great social inequality and visible returning to Galway to become first Professor poverty – many progressive, middleclass of German in 1917. In 1920, Anderson moved people, such as the Andersons, were engaged to London and was one of the first women to in social reform activities. Between 1911 work in the British Foreign Office, recently and 1917 Emily Anderson left Galway to open to women under the law. During the study and teach abroad. She returned to a Second World War, Anderson undertook transformed Ireland in 1917 before deciding intelligence work in the Middle-East, for to move to London in 1920 as the war of which she received an OBE. An accomplished independence intensified. linguist and scholar, Emily Anderson’s hugely important works The Letters of Mozart and – N. Reilly his Family (1938) and The Letters of Beethoven (1961) received critical international acclaim and she was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.