Iris Ashley Cummins (1894–1968) was the first female engineer to graduate

University College Cork University College Cork – National University of Ireland, Cork (UCC) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile Corcaigh) is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland, and located in Cork. The university was founded in 1845 as one of ...

(UCC) and was also an international hockey player.

Early life and education

Cummins was born on 6 June 1894 in Woodville, Glanmire, County Cork to William Edward Ashley Cummins (1858–1923), professor of medicine at

, and Jane Constable Cummins (née Hall). They had five daughters and six sons.

Geraldine Cummins Geraldine Dorothy Cummins (1890–1969) was an Irish spiritualist medium, novelist and playwright. She began her career as a creative writer, but increasingly concentrated on mediumship and "channelled" writings, mostly about the lives of Jesus a ...

was a playwright. Jane Cummins was a squadron officer in the WRAF during the

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

and became a medical doctor.

Mary Hearn Mary Ellice Thorn Hearn M.D. F.R.C.P.I. (25 February 1891 – 1969) was a gynaecologist and first female fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland. Early life and education Hearn was born on 25 February 1891 to William Edward Ashle ...

was a

gynaecologist Gynaecology or gynecology (see American and British English spelling differences, spelling differences) is the area of medicine that involves the treatment of women's diseases, especially those of the reproductive organs. It is often paired with ...

and fellow of the RCPI. Two of her brothers also became doctors; one, N. Marshall Cummins, was involved in setting up the first

blood transfusion Blood transfusion is the process of transferring blood products into a person's circulation intravenously. Transfusions are used for various medical conditions to replace lost components of the blood. Early transfusions used whole blood, but mo ...

service in Cork.

Education

Cummins began to study in UCC in 1912. At that time there were 78 women students out of the 420 students enrolled. She graduated with an engineering degree in 1915. During her time in engineering Cummins was editor of the ''Journal of the Engineering Society'' While she was in college, Cummins was on the Ireland hockey team. She earned her first ‘cap’ for hockey in 1914 and lead the college hockey team to victory in the Munster cup. The Irish hockey team toured the US in 1925 with Cummins as the captain. With the team she went to the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...

at the invitation of

Calvin Coolidge Calvin Coolidge (born John Calvin Coolidge Jr.; ; July 4, 1872January 5, 1933) was the 30th president of the United States from 1923 to 1929. Born in Vermont, Coolidge was a History of the Republican Party (United States), Republican lawyer ...

Work

Cummins worked for the

Royal Arsenal The Royal Arsenal, Woolwich is an establishment on the south bank of the River Thames in Woolwich in south-east London, England, that was used for the manufacture of armaments and ammunition, proofing, and explosives research for the Britis ...

with the munitions factory at Woolwich, London and then the Vickers factory at nearby

Erith Erith () is an area in south-east London, England, east of Charing Cross. Before the creation of Greater London in 1965, it was in the historical county of Kent. Since 1965 it has formed part of the London Borough of Bexley. It lies nort ...

as well as in a shipyard in Scotland during the First World War between 1915 and 1916 before returning to Cork. Initially there she found it hard to find work. In 1924 she founded a private practice in the city and worked there until 1927 at which time she was appointed to the

Irish Land Commission The Irish Land Commission was created by the British crown in 1843 to 'inquire into the occupation of the land in Ireland. The office of the commission was in Dublin Castle, and the records were, on its conclusion, deposited in the records tower t ...

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 ...

. She moved to Dublin and although she visited, she never returned to live in Cork. She retired from the Land Commission in 1954. In 1927 Cummins became the first woman member of the Institution of Civil Engineers of Ireland. She was a Council member of the

Women's Engineering Society The Women's Engineering Society is a United Kingdom professional learned society and networking body for women engineers, scientists and technologists. It was the first professional body set up for women working in all areas of engineering, pred ...

having joined at the organisation's inception. In December 1919, Cummins wrote an encouraging article in the very first edition of the society's ''The Woman Engineer'' journal. Based on her own Irish university experience, it laid out the practicalities of studies as well as social interactions likely to be encountered by a woman thinking of training as a civil engineer. The following year, she had another article published, this time in the ''Practical Engineer'' magazine, entitled "''The Suitability of Women for the Engineering Industries''" Twenty years later, in 1940, she wrote a lively piece on ''Women Engineers Overseas - in Eire'' for ''The Woman Engineer'' journal on her experiences as one of the earliest women engineers in Ireland. In this article, she recounted a tale of encountering the "oldest Inhabitant" of a very rural area, a proud owner of two fine horses, who on discovering "you must be an engineer, so would ye mind mending the electric light in the mare's stable?" Cummins died 30 April 1968 in Dublin.

Memorial

Cummins was remembered by University College Cork when they named the Civil Engineering Building after her.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cummins, Iris 1894 births 1968 deaths Sportspeople from Cork (city) 20th-century Irish engineers 20th-century women engineers Irish women engineers Women's Engineering Society Irish engineers

Early life and education

Education

Work

Memorial

Further reading

References