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Exhibition celebrates the lives of Donegal women

TODAY, Donegal women are among the most educated and independent women in the world, enjoying freedoms and status equal to men. In December, a Donegal County Council Gender Pay Gap Report showed that women on average occupy higher paid roles than men in the council.

But it wasn’t always this way.

A new exhibition, opening this week in the county museum titled “Mná na nGall”, celebrates the women of Donegal from 1922 to the 1980s, and how they worked to break down barriers to make the lives of Donegal women better.

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“Donegal women’s lives underwent extraordinary changes and challenges through the influence of the Irish government during this period in the areas of employment, the marriage bar and education,” said curator Caroline Carr.

“This new exhibition looks back on what life was like for women in the 20th century, the struggles they faced, and the enormous transformation for the better that has taken place since,” she added.

There is a display dedicated to explaining some of things women could not do in Ireland 60 years ago, and how it changed. Young women today might be surprised to learn they were not allowed to do things such as collect the children’s allowance, live securely in her own home, or drink in a pub on her own. It wasn’t until 2002 that the Equal Status Act banned gender discrimination in the provision of goods and services.

Mother and Baby Homes
The exhibition charts the effects of the Mother and Baby Homes and the Magdalene Laundries on society and individuals. It includes the story of The Mother and Baby Scheme, which Dr Noel Browne, Minister for Health at the time, worked so hard to implement in 1950.

Infant mortality was high at the time and the scheme was aimed at providing free maternity care for mothers and free medical care to children under 16, however following objections from the Church against the State becoming involved in an area that they believed was the domain of the Church, the scheme was withdrawn.

There are beautiful life-size wooden cut-outs of Bridie Gallagher, “The Girl from Donegal” in her couture wedding dress, and the Queen of Tory, Margaret ‘Mary’ Herrity, who, at just under 3ft tall, was the “smallest queen in the world”.

   

POLITICS

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There’s a section on women in politics. In 1918 women obtained the right to vote at age 30 and it was also the first time Irish women were allowed to stand in parliamentary elections. In 1920, a total of 42 women were elected to local councils, however in Donegal it would be 60 years before a woman was elected as a county councillor – Susan McGonagle was elected in 1979.

“At last! A woman on the Council”, was a local newspaper’s front page headline the following week.

Since the inauguration of the Irish Free State, only two TDs from Donegal have been women, Mary Coughlan and Cecilia Keaveney, both from Fianna Fail.

There’s a section on the Irish Countrywomen’s Association (ICA) which brought about some of the most important social changes in the lives of Irish women and the family in the last 100 years, such as the introduction of the Montessori teaching method and the introduction of Adult Education in the 1930s. They even supported a candidate in the 1974 local elections – Ann Barton who ran in the Glenties district.

“It’s important to note that the ‘country’ in the name refers to the country of Ireland, rather than just women in the countryside or rural areas,” said Caroline.

As part of the exhibition, the museum is also encouraging the public to submit their own stories and photos of the ordinary women of Donegal; Your grannies, your mums, your aunties, and your single neighbour who has no-one to tell her story.”

Dr. Muriel Gahan


Also featuring in the exhibition is Dr Muriel Gahan. Dr Gahan was born at Magherabeg House, near Donegal Town, and was a founding member of the ICA. She dedicated her life to the promotion of Irish crafts and is credited with launching the Aran Jumper as we know it today.

You can submit your story or photo by email, or write on booklets which the museum is supplying specifically for the project. The exhibition is now open and is a must-visit.

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