The Dublin Women's Suffrage Association (DSWA), later the Irish Women's Suffrage and Local Government Association (IWSLGA), was a

women's suffrage Women's suffrage is the right of women to vote in elections. Beginning in the start of the 18th century, some people sought to change voting laws to allow women to vote. Liberal political parties would go on to grant women the right to vot ...

organisation based in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

from 1876 to 1919, latterly also campaigning for a greater role for women in local government and public affairs. The association grew from a committee established by Anna Haslam and her husband, Thomas Haslam, after a meeting on 21 February 1872 chaired by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Sir George Bolster Owens, and addressed by Belfast suffragist

Isabella Tod Isabella Maria Susan Tod (18 May 1836 – 8 December 1896) was a Scottish-born campaigner for women’s civil and political equality, active in the north of Ireland. She lobbied for women’s rights to education and to property, for the di ...

. The DSWA was formally founded at a meeting on 26 January 1876 in the Exhibition Palace, Earlsfort Terrace (now the National Concert Hall). After the Poor Law Guardians (Ireland) (Women) Act 1896 allowed women to be elected to the

boards of guardians Boards of guardians were ''ad hoc'' authorities that administered Poor Law in the United Kingdom from 1835 to 1930. England and Wales Boards of guardians were created by the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834, replacing the parish overseers of the poor ...

of poor law unions, it renamed itself the Dublin Women's Suffrage and Poor Law Guardians' Association; after the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 allowed women to serve on local councils, it became the Dublin Women's Suffrage and Local Government Association. It established branches outside Dublin in the 1890s and became the IWSLGA in 1901. In 1919, after the

Representation of the People Act 1918 The Representation of the People Act 1918 was an Act of Parliament passed to reform the electoral system in Great Britain and Ireland. It is sometimes known as the Fourth Reform Act. The Act extended the franchise in parliamentary elections, also ...

provided full franchise as local elections and partial franchise at parliamentary elections, the IWSLGA merged with the Irish Women's Association of Citizenship to become the Irish Women Citizens' and Local Government Association, later renamed the

Irish Women's Citizens Association The Irish Women's Citizens Association was an influential non-governmental organisation created in 1923 to advocate for women's rights in the aftermath of the Irish War of Independence and the Irish Civil War. Originally known as the Irish Women ...

, which in 1949 merged into the

Irish Housewives Association The Irish Housewives Association (IHA) was an influential pressure group founded in 1942 to speak out about injustices and the needs of Irish women, inside and outside the home.Hilda Tweedy obituary, ''Irish Times'', 9 July 2005. The organization c ...

. The association confined itself to constitutional, nonsectarian and peaceful methods, and attracted support from both unionist and

nationalist Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: The ...

suffragists. Its tactics included making friends in parliament, hosting meetings with important speakers, and issuing pamphlets and periodicals. Its first secretaries were Anna Haslam and Miss McDowell. Anna Haslam served as secretary until 1913. In regards to membership, Anna Haslam suggested an annual subscription of one shilling per annum as membership in the association. Other goals included appointing women to positions "such as

rate Rate or rates may refer to: Finance * Rates (tax), a type of taxation system in the United Kingdom used to fund local government * Exchange rate, rate at which one currency will be exchanged for another Mathematics and science * Rate (mathema ...

collectors and sanitary inspectors, while always pursuing the association's main objective of the parliamentary vote." Prominent members of the association in the 20th century were Lady

Margaret Dockrell Lady Margaret Dockrell (18 March 1849 – 29 June 1926) was an Irish suffragist, philanthropist, and councillor. Early life and family Margaret Dockrell was born Margaret Shannon on 18 March 1849, at 18 Charlotte Street, Dublin. She was the el ...

Mary Hayden Mary Teresa Hayden (1862 – 12 July 1942) was an Irish historian, Irish-language activist and campaigner for women's causes. Biography Mary Hayden was educated initially at the Dominican College, Eccles Street and then at Alexandra College in ...

, and

Bridget Dudley Edwards Bridget is an Irish female name derived from the Gaelic noun ''brígh'', meaning "power, strength, vigor, virtue". An alternate meaning of the name is "exalted one". Its popularity, especially in Ireland, is largely related to the popularity of ...

(mother of

Robert Dudley Edwards Robert Walter Dudley Edwards (4 June 1909 – 5 June 1988) was an Irish historian. Biography Robert Walter Dudley Edwards, known to his friends as Robin and his students as 'Dudley'"Dr Robin Dudley Edwards dies in Dublin", ''Irish Times'', 6 Jun ...

)."Dr Robin Dudley Edwards dies in Dublin", ''Irish Times'', 6 June 1988 Prominent supporters included Charles Cameron, Sir Andrew Reed, Willie Redmond MP, and William Field MP.Irish Times, 5 September 1908. p 7 Following the

Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919 The Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom. It became law when it received Royal Assent on 23 December 1919.''Oliver & Boyd's new Edinburgh almanac and national repository for the year 1921''. p. 213 ...

, Lady Dockrell was one of the first women appointed

Justice of the Peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

Sources

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Citations

{{reflist

External links

European (Mainly Ireland) Suffrage Reports
(LSE Digital Library, Women's Rights Collection) includes IWSLGA executive committee annual reports 1909–1919 Organisations based in Dublin (city) Women's organisations based in Ireland Women's suffrage in Ireland 1876 establishments in Ireland 1919 disestablishments in Ireland Voter rights and suffrage organizations History of local government in Ireland