Maureen O'Carroll

Maureen O'Carroll (née McHugh; 29 March 1913 – 9 May 1984) was an Irish Labour Party politician who served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin North-Central constituency from 1954 to 1957.[1]

Maureen O'Carroll
Teachta Dála
In office
May 1954  March 1957
ConstituencyDublin North-Central
Personal details
Born
Maureen McHugh

(1913-03-29)29 March 1913
Galway, Ireland
Died9 May 1984(1984-05-09) (aged 71)
Dublin, Ireland
NationalityIrish
Political partyLabour Party
Spouse(s)Gerard O'Carroll
(m. 1933; d. 1964)
Children11, including Brendan
Alma materUniversity of Galway

Background

She was the eldest child of Michael McHugh and Elizabeth O’Dowd. Her father had been a participant in the Easter Rising as well as a journalist, and was very influential upon her.[2] She was educated at Jesus and Mary College in Gortnor Abbey in Crossmolina, County Mayo on a scholarship before moving to University College Galway. She returned to Gortnor Abbey to become a Novitiate (novice nun), however, she later decided not to commit to that life. By 1936, she was a civil servant and had married her husband Gerard. Later she became school teacher and mother of eleven children (including actor Brendan O'Carroll).[2]

Political career

She entered politics as a founder of the Lower Prices Council, which campaigned against high prices, scarcity and black marketeering in the aftermath of World War II.[3]

She was elected to Dáil Éireann on her first attempt, at the 1954 general election to the 15th Dáil, when she was the third candidate to be elected in the three-seat Dublin North–Central constituency, defeating sitting Fianna Fáil TD Colm Gallagher.[4] She served as Labour's Chief Whip from 1954 to 1957,[5] and was the first woman to hold that position in any Irish political party.

During her time as a TD, she was credited with introducing female members to the Garda Síochána, then known as Ban Gardai (Women Guards). The Ban Gardai would later serve as her guard of honour at her funeral in 1984. She is also credited as helping to remove the status of "illegitimate" from birth certificates.[2]

At the 1957 general election, she was defeated and Gallagher retook the seat. O'Carroll did not stand again for election to the Dáil.

References

  1. "Maureen O'Carroll". Oireachtas Members Database. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
  2. Murphy, Mary J. "'Little Mo' Maureen O'Carroll TD 1913-1985 University College Galway graduate, BA, 1935". nuigalway.ie. NUI Galway. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
  3. McNamara, Maedhbh; Mooney, Paschal (2000). Women in Parliament: Ireland 1918–2000. Dublin: Wolfhound Press. ISBN 0-86327-759-4.
  4. "Maureen O'Carroll". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
  5. "Maureen O'Carroll". Centre for the Advancement of Women in Politics. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
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