Helen Sophia Chenevix (13 November 1886 – 4 March 1963) was an

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

suffragist Suffrage, political franchise, or simply franchise, is the right to vote in public, political elections and referendums (although the term is sometimes used for any right to vote). In some languages, and occasionally in English, the right to v ...

and

trade unionist A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits (s ...

. In 1911, she worked with

Louie Bennett Louie Bennett (Louisa Elizabeth Bennett; 1870 – 1956) was an Irish suffragette, trade unionist, journalist and writer. Born and raised in Dublin, she established the Irish Women's Suffrage Federation in 1911. She was a joint editor and contr ...

to form the Irish Women's Suffrage Federation. The two later founded the

Irish Women Workers' Union The Irish Women Workers' Union was a trade union which was set up at a meeting on 5 September 1911 in Dublin, Ireland. The meeting had been organized by Delia Larkin. The union was created because other trade unions of the time excluded women work ...

. Chenevix was also elected to

Dublin Corporation Dublin Corporation (), known by generations of Dubliners simply as ''The Corpo'', is the former name of the city government and its administrative organisation in Dublin since the 1100s. Significantly re-structured in 1660-1661, even more sign ...

, and twice served as acting

Lord Mayor of Dublin The Lord Mayor of Dublin ( ga, Ardmhéara Bhaile Átha Cliath) is the honorary title of the chairperson ( ga, Cathaoirleach, links=no ) of Dublin City Council which is the local government body for the city of Dublin, the capital of Ireland. Th ...

in 1942 and 1950. In 1951, she served as President of the

Irish Trades Union Congress The Irish Trades Union Congress (ITUC) was a union federation covering the island of Ireland. History Until 1894, representatives of Irish trade unions attended the British Trades Union Congress (TUC). However, many felt that they had little im ...

, and from 1955 to 1957 she was Secretary of the Women Workers' Union. She was also active in the International League for Peace and Freedom and the Irish Pacifist Movement.

Early life

Helen Sophia Chenevix was born on 13 November 1886 in

Blackrock BlackRock, Inc. is an American multi-national investment company based in New York City. Founded in 1988, initially as a risk management and fixed income institutional asset manager, BlackRock is the world's largest asset manager, with trill ...

, Co. Dublin, and was the daughter of Henry Chenevix, a Bishop in The Church of Ireland and possibly a descendant of the Irish chemist Richard Chenevix.Frances Clarke. "Chenevix, Helen Sophia". Dictionary of Irish Biography. (ed.) James McGuire, James Quinn. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 2009. Her mother was Charlotte Sophia, née Ormsby. Chenevix attended

Alexandra College Alexandra College ( ir, Coláiste Alexandra) is a fee-charging boarding and day school for girls located in Milltown, Dublin, Ireland. The school operates under a Church of Ireland ethos. History The school was founded in 1866 and takes its ...

in Milltown in Dublin, where fellow suffragist and partner

had obtained her education twenty years previously. Chevenix subsequently continued her studies at

Trinity College Trinity College may refer to: Australia * Trinity Anglican College, an Anglican coeducational primary and secondary school in , New South Wales * Trinity Catholic College, Auburn, a coeducational school in the inner-western suburbs of Sydney, New ...

where she was a part of the first group of women to graduate and attain a B.A degree in 1909. Chenevix became interested and immersed in the suffragette movement and was a key member in the Irish Women's Suffrage Federation. Chenevix helmed many marches and debates on the subject of women's rights, in regular collaboration with fellow suffragist Bennett, with whom she partnered with in most political activities. From 1911,

socialism Socialism is a left-wing Economic ideology, economic philosophy and Political movement, movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to Private prop ...

and

feminism Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...

were growing movements, and many feminists were of a socialist political view. This led to the popular support of suffragette associations during the 1910s and a rise in support for Chenevix and the Irish Women's Suffrage Federation.

Personal life

Chenevix was the only child of her parents, Henry and Sophia. They were a comfortable South Dublin family that had no financial difficulties as her father was the Bishop of the

Church of Ireland The Church of Ireland ( ga, Eaglais na hÉireann, ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Kirk o Airlann, ) is a Christian church in Ireland and an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. It is organised on an all-Ireland basis and is the secon ...

. She was still living with her parents in the family home in Dublin when she founded the Irish Women's Suffrage Federation with Bennett. Chenevix and Bennett were constant companions, leading to speculation that the pair were romantically involved. It is now assumed that they were a couple. It has been said that the couple were part of an influential network of lesbians living in Dublin. Bennett moved into the house beside Chenevix, and they also lived together for a period of time with Chenevix caring for Bennett before she died from an illness in 1956. In ''Pax et Libertas'', Chenevix wrote that Bennett was "the best loved woman in Dublin" and "Peace and Freedom were here twin ideals". Chenevix died on 4 March 1963.

Career

Chenevix was a women's rights activist. In 1911 she co-founded the Irish Women's Suffrage Federation, which supported the foundation of Dublin's Irish Women's Reform League and Belfast's Women's Suffrage Society. Chenevix believed the

school leaving age The school leaving age is the minimum age a person is legally allowed to cease attendance at an institute of compulsory secondary education. Most countries have their school leaving age set the same as their minimum full-time employment age, thu ...

should be raised to 16 years of age and campaigned for this to be changed in the 1920s. She understood the struggles that poorer families had and demanded financial compensation for them. Helen co-founded the Irish Women's Workers Union in 1916 and by 1918 it was recognised as a trade union, with over 5,000 members. Their aim was to support women working in poor working conditions. They negotiated with employers for better pay and working hours. In 1945, Chenevix, Bennett and other members of the Irish Women's Worker's Union began a strike over the poor working conditions employees had to endure whilst working in the laundries. This successful strike lasted 3 months in total and the whole nation was awarded with two weeks paid annual holidays at the end. Chenevix and Bennett were highly praised for being "strong, powerful women" for managing and maintaining the strike. In 1949, Chenevix served as vice president to the Irish Trade Union Congress and in 1951 she was appointed president. Chenevix was also elected to

, and twice served as acting

(in 1942 and 1950). She was also active in the

Women's International League for Peace and Freedom The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) is a non-profit non-governmental organization working "to bring together women of different political views and philosophical and religious backgrounds determined to study and make kno ...

and the Irish Pacifist Movement.Angela Bourke, ''The Field Day Anthology of Irish Writing'', Vol.5, p.566 After Bennett's retirement in 1955, Chenevix acquired her position as general secretary of the Irish Women's Worker's Union.

Later life and death

After she retired from the Irish Women Workers’ Union in 1957, Chenevix concentrated on working for peace and

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A memorable event in Chenevix's later life was her input at a conference of the Irish Trade Union Congress and the

Irish Congress of Trade Unions The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (often abbreviated to just Congress or ICTU), formed in 1959 by the merger of the Irish Trades Union Congress (founded in 1894) and the Congress of Irish Unions (founded in 1945), is a national trade union centr ...

. A heated argument broke out amongst delegates suggesting that the idea of world peace was a "communist" ideal. As Chenevix, a "frail, gentle, grey-haired figure", approached the stand, the conference was in uproar. As she spoke calmly and convincingly for the need for peace, the disorder began to die. Once she had finished, the room broke out into a storm of thunderous applause. Her resolution, which had previously been viewed as "communist", was finally recognised and passed unanimously. Chenvix worked tirelessly throughout her life to fight for women's rights, to improve working conditions for Irish women and for the right to live in a peaceful world without war or disruption. As she worked right up to her death, she was appointed a member of the Industrial Accidents Commission just three days before her bereavement. She died of brain cancer on the 4th of March 1963 in Walkinstown Hospital,Death Certificate of Helen Chenevix. (1963). DFAvailable at: https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1963/04286/4103269.pdf ccessed 25 Oct. 2018 and she was buried in

Deansgrange cemetery Deans Grange Cemetery (; also spelled ''Deansgrange'') is situated in the suburban area of Deansgrange in the Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown part of the former County Dublin, Ireland. Since it first opened in 1865, over 150,000 people have been burie ...

on the 7th of March of the same year. Her funeral was held in Monkstown Parish Church and was conducted by the Reverend RWM Wynne. Amongst those who attended the funeral were members of the Dáil and Senate, representatives of the Trade Union movement and many of Chenevix's personal friends.

Legacy

A bench has been placed in

St Stephens Green St Stephen's Green () is a garden square and public park located in the city centre of Dublin, Ireland. The current landscape of the park was designed by William Sheppard. It was officially re-opened to the public on Tuesday, 27 July 1880 by L ...

park in honour of Chenevix and Bennett for their hard work in fighting for women's rights. The bench reads, Also of her lifelong friend and co-worker Helen Chenevix, 1888 - 1963 who shared the same high ideals'','. The two women were described as "Two of the most remarkable Irish women of this century" after Chenevix's death. A memorial in ''

The Irish Times ''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is considered a newspaper ...

'' newspaper said that Chenevix "will be missed not only for the work she did, but for the noble qualities she possessed. Her friends will have a deep and irreparable sense of loss". A walking tour was organised by Ingenious Ireland on International Women's Day 2015 to celebrate the lives of Chenevix, Bennett,

Helena Molony Helena Mary Molony (15 January 1883 – 29 January 1967) was a prominent Irish republican, feminist and labour activist. She fought in the 1916 Easter Rising and later became the second woman president of the Irish Trades Union Congress. Early ...

and

Kathleen Clarke Kathleen Clarke (; ga, Caitlín Bean Uí Chléirigh; 11 April 1878 – 29 September 1972) was a founder member of Cumann na mBan, a women's paramilitary organisation formed in Ireland in 1914, and one of very few privy to the plans of the East ...

and to honour their work on behalf of the laundries. The tour was entitled "Obstreporous Lassies" and focused on the work the

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