Margaret Collins-O'Driscoll (18 August 1876 – 17 June 1945) was an Irish

Cumann na nGaedheal Cumann na nGaedheal (; "Society of the Gaels") was a political party in the Irish Free State, which formed the government from 1923 to 1932. In 1933 it merged with smaller groups to form the Fine Gael party. Origins In 1922 the pro-Treaty G ...

politician who served as a

Teachta Dála A Teachta Dála ( , ; plural ), abbreviated as TD (plural ''TDanna'' in Irish, TDs in English), is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas (the Irish Parliament). It is the equivalent of terms such as ''Member of Parli ...

(TD) for the

Dublin North Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 cens ...

constituency from 1923 to 1933.

Early life

Margaret Mary Collins was born in Woodfield,

Clonakilty Clonakilty (; ), sometimes shortened to Clon, is a town in County Cork, Ireland. The town is located at the head of the tidal Clonakilty Bay. The rural hinterland is used mainly for dairy farming. The town's population as of 2016 was 4,592. Th ...

County Cork County Cork ( ga, Contae Chorcaí) is the largest and the southernmost county of Ireland, named after the city of Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. Its largest market towns are ...

on 18 August 1876. The eldest of three daughters and five sons of Michael Collins, a farmer, and Mary Anne O'Brien. She was the eldest sister of the Irish revolutionary leader

Michael Collins Michael Collins or Mike Collins most commonly refers to: * Michael Collins (Irish leader) (1890–1922), Irish revolutionary leader, soldier, and politician * Michael Collins (astronaut) (1930–2021), American astronaut, member of Apollo 11 and Ge ...

. She was educated at

Baggot Street Baggot Street () is a street in Dublin, Ireland. Location The street runs from Merrion Row (near St. Stephen's Green) to the northwestern end of Pembroke Road. It crosses the Grand Canal near Haddington Road. It is divided into two sections: ...

Training College and was a schoolteacher and school principal before entering politics. A primary-school teacher, for many years she was principal of Lisavaird girls' national school in

, and also taught in Dublin.

Politics

She was the first female Cumann na nGaedheal TD. In 1926 she was elected a vice-president of the party, and was the only female member of the Dáil between September 1927 and February 1932. She was first elected to

Dáil Éireann Dáil Éireann ( , ; ) is the lower house, and principal chamber, of the Oireachtas (Irish legislature), which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann (the upper house).Article 15.1.2º of the Constitution of Ireland read ...

as a Cumann na nGaedheal TD for the

constituency at the 1923 general election. Socially conversative, she voted in favour of the 1928 Censorship of Publications bill, which banned indecent literature and publications that referred to birth control; and she voted with the government in favour of the 1924 and 1927 juries bills, which restricted jury service for women. She was re-elected at each subsequent election until she lost her seat at the 1933 general election.

Family

She married Patrick O'Driscoll on 8 September 1901 at

Rosscarbery Rosscarbery () is a village and census town in County Cork, Ireland. The village is on a shallow estuary, which opens onto Rosscarbery Bay. Rosscarbery is in the Cork South-West (Dáil Éireann) constituency, which has three seats. History The ...

's Roman Catholic chapel in County Cork. The couple had 14 children: five sons and nine daughters. Actress

Dervla Kirwan Dervla Kirwan (born 24 October 1971) is an Irish television, stage, and film actress who specializes in drama roles. She gained attention for her roles in ''Ballykissangel'', '' Goodnight Sweetheart'', and the Doctor Who Christmas special epis ...

is a great-granddaughter of the O'Driscolls.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Collins-Odriscoll, Margaret 1876 births 1945 deaths

Margaret Margaret is a female first name, derived via French () and Latin () from grc, μαργαρίτης () meaning "pearl". The Greek is borrowed from Persian. Margaret has been an English name since the 11th century, and remained popular througho ...

Cumann na nGaedheal TDs Irish schoolteachers Members of the 4th Dáil Members of the 5th Dáil Members of the 6th Dáil Members of the 7th Dáil Politicians from County Cork 20th-century women Teachtaí Dála Women heads of schools in Ireland