On the Anniversary of the Death of Constance Markievicz

 

On this day in history, July 15th, 1927, Countess Constance Georgine Markievicz (née Gore-Booth; 4 February 1868 – 15th July 1927) passed away. This post contains a snapshot of her life and some links to use for further exploration. Doubtless, many interesting debates and discussions may be had based on her life.

 

 

 

An Irish suffragist, nationalist, socialist, revolutionary & politician, Markievicz was a member of Sinn Féin, Inghinidhe na hÉireann, the Women’s Workers Union, Fianna Éireann, Cumann na mBan, the Irish Citizens Army & later Fianna Fáil. This serves in sharp contrast to her roots as a member of the prominent Anglo-Irish Gore-Booth Family of Lissadell, Co Sligo & for someone who debuted in high society being presented to Queen Victoria at the age of 19.

Her entitlement to her Countess title, acquired when she married Casimir Markievicz, is sometimes disputed & used by detractors as evidence of grandiosity. Casimir had a son, Stanislas, from a previous marriage & together that had a daughter, Maeve, from whom Constance was later largely estranged. Maeve was raised by her maternal grandparents. Correspondence from prison to her sister Eva shows Constance did not wish Maeve to see her locked up but, it is suggested, Maeve was unaware of this & resentment grew. Some (e.g., Joe McGowan) suggest Maeve was like her mother in that the London social scene was not for her.

 

Despite the allegations of grandiosity against her, Constance’s dedication to the poor is not in doubt; she provided food for workers and their families during the Lock Out of 1913 in which thousands of people were locked out of their workplaces for refusing to reject union membership.

Moreover, her dedication to the cause of equality must be recognised. In 1908, she joined English suffragists in Manchester in their campaign to prevent Winston Churchill succeeding in his by-election bid as he opposed giving women the right to vote. She drove through Manchester in an old-fashioned carriage driven by 4 white horses. Heckled by a man asking if she could cook him dinner, she replied, “Yes. Can you drive a coach and four?” Churchill lost the by-election.

 

 

 

Markievicz was the first woman elected to Parliament in Westminster (not taking her seat in accordance with Sinn Féin’s abstention policy; she was also imprisoned in Holloway at the time). She later became the first female cabinet minister in Europe, having been elected TD for Dublin South. That she was the first woman elected to Westminster has often been overlooked with much mention instead being given to Nancy Astor who was the first woman to sit as an MP. Matt Hancock appears not to know of her in this tweet. The 2010 House of Commons paper on ‘Women in the House of Commons’ is inaccurate and misleading regarding her role in the Suffragette Movement, as outlined here.

 

It is important to remember that the Constance Markievicz was not only the first woman elected to the House of Commons, she was also elected on an openly feminist and socialist platform. Her election was, therefore, even more extraordinary than is usually acknowledged.

 Senia Paseta, Oxford University, cited here 

In 2018, Markievicz was formally honoured with a portrait in the House of Commons. 

 

Her participation in the 1916 Rising saw her sentenced to death but this was reduced on the grounds of her sex & she was later released under a general amnesty. Prosecutor William Wiley claims Markievicz cited her gender when begging for her life after her execution was ordered; other reports suggest her response to the commuting of the death sentence was to say “I do wish your lot had the decency to shoot me.” Dispute continues to this day as to whether Markievicz was responsible for the shooting of Constable Lahiff at Stephen’s Green. Markievicz variously served time for other offences both before & after 1916.

Having left Sinn Féin and joined the new Fianna Fáil party upon its foundation in 1926, Markievicz was elected to the 5th Dáil but died from complications of appendicitis before she could take her seat – less than a month before her fellow Fianna Fáil TDs signed the controversial Oath of Allegiance. She died in poverty having given away all her wealth and is buried in Glasnevin Cemetery.

Markievicz is criticised for idealism in the absence of clear workable policies, but her grass-roots activism cannot be denied. Irrespective of one’s views, her remarkable life story remains one worth remembering today. Below are some articles and links you may wish to use for further exploration.

 

Other links & Articles

• AskAboutIreland.ie: Lesson plan for children

• lissadellhouse.com: Countess Markievicz

• Irishtimes.com: Constance Markievicz, the divisive revolutionary heroine

• Aljazerra.com: Constance Markievicz: A revolutionary Irish woman history forgot

• Irishhistoriansinbritain.org: Did Constance Markievicz shoot the policeman?

• Excerpt from a lecture to the young women of the National Literary Society