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Countess Markievicz School 2012

The second annual Countess Markievicz School will take place on 12th May 2012 in The Teachers Club, Parnell Square, Dublin.  The Annual Markievicz Lecture will discuss First Wave Feminism. This year the School proposes to explore the position of women in Ireland regarding the Constitution. Were the suffragettes such as Markievicz who fought for equality in 1916 let down in 1937? How are women’s lives affected today, particularly in regard to the costly burden of childcare? The status of women and their activism will be explored on the day.  We invite you to join us for some lively debate to engage with the issues.  A Q & A session will follow each panel discussion.

Markievicz Lecture – First Wave Feminism

Dr. Margaret Ward  - Director of Women’s Resource & Development Agency, Belfast

Women & the Constitution

Senator Ivana Bacik – Reid Professor of Law, TCD

Camille Loftus – Lecturer in Social Policy & Politics, UCD,NUIM,IPH

Catherine McGuinness – former Supreme Court Judge

Women & Care

Mariaam Bhatti – Domestic Workers’ Action Group, MRCI

    Dr. Niall Hanlon – Lecturer in Social Science, Dublin Business School

Prof. Kathleen Lynch, Equality Studies, UCD

Women’s Voices in the Community

    Eilish Corcoran  - Longford Women’s Link/Women’s Manifesto

   Cathleen O’Neill – Kilbarrack Community Development Project

Dr. Katherine Zappone – Senator and co-founder of An Cosan

Inaugural Countess Markievicz School 2011

On Saturday June 4th, 140 people attended the first Countess Markievicz School. The speeches ranged from the historical – on the Countess herself, thus setting the context of the school, to the role of women in the political and media spheres in Ireland today. The keynote address was given by Ms. Arni Hole, Director General in the Royal Ministry of Children, Equality & Social Inclusion, Norway, who flew over for the event. Arni gave a well received presentation on the Norwegian experience, commenting afterwards to Lucy our Chairperson, that Ireland is where Norway was 35 years ago! Feedback was overwhelmingly positive and we thank those who gave their time freely to speak at the event and the audience who participated with enthusiasm and took the time to evaluate the event. See our ‘Speakers 2011′ page to view the videos of last year’s speeches.

Countess Markievicz – The historical perspective

Dr. Mary McAuliffe  Historian, Women’s Studies, UCD 

Dr. Sonja Tiernan  University of Notre Dame

Women in Politics

Prof. Kathleen Lynch  Equality Studies, UCD

Ailbhe Smyth  Feminist Open Forum

Joan Collins  T.D. Dublin South Central

Women and the Media

Margaret E. Ward  Financial Journalist & Broadcaster

Helen McCormack  Journalist & Radio Producer

Gender Quotas – Norway & Ireland

Arni Hole  Director General Ministry for Children, Equality & Social Inclusion Norway

Siobhán O’ Donoghue  Director, Migrant Rights Centre of Ireland

Mary Lou McDonald  T.D. Dublin Central

Dr. Elaine Byrne  Trinity College Dublin

Countess Markievicz School, Saturday 4th June 2011

The Teachers’ Club, Parnell Sq., Dublin

‘If women remain on the margins of society, we only have marginal opportunities for making marginal change’,  Maria Torres, Adult Literacy teacher, Equador

Concerned about the declining numbers of women in public and political life and inspired by a flippant comment, the Countess Markievicz School was born. In honour of Ireland’s first female MP and Cabinet Minister, the school is a discussion forum on women in Ireland, with a different topic addressed each year. This year’s theme is Women in Politics & the Media. We have invited a range of speakers from academia, politics and the media, to speak on June 4th. We invite you to join us for some lively debate to engage with the issues. A Q & A session will follow each panel discussion.

Speakers on the day….

Prof. Kathleen Lynch, Equality Studies, UCD

Margaret E. Ward, Financial Journalist & Broadcaster

Siobhán O’ Donoghue, Director, MRCI

Dr. Mary McAuliffe, Historian, Women’s Studies, UCD

Joan Collins, T.D., Dublin South Central

Helen McCormack, Journalist & Radio Producer 

Arni Hole, Director General, Ministry for Children, Equality & Social Inclusion, Norway

Dr. Sonja Tiernan, University of Notre Dame

Ailbhe Smyth, Feminist Open Forum

Dr. Elaine Byrne, School of Politics,  Trinity College

Mary Lou McDonald, T.D., Dublin Central