London socialist-feminist discussion group: Who was Constance Markiewicz?
Submitted on
Lucas Arms, 245a Gray's Inn Road, London
Constance Gore-Booth was born into an Anglo-Irish landowning family in 1868. In her 20s in London she became comitted to votes for women.
Later, after marrying Count Casimir Markiewicz from Poland, and moving to Dublin she became involved in the Irish nationalist movement. In 1908 Constance joined Sinn Fein. But she was also becoming more interested in the struggles of Irish workers.
During the Dublin lock-out of 1913 she threw herself into solidarity work. She took part in the Easter Rising of April 1916, was arrested and charged with treason. Initially condemned to death, her sentence was was commuted to life imprisonment, then she was released in 1917.
Constance Markiewicz was the only woman who was successful in the 1918 General Election (as a Sinn Fein candidate) but did not attend the House of Commons in London. She opposed the Anglo-Irish Treaty.
Come and hear about and discuss the fascinating political life of Constance Markiewicz.
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