Ireland was one of the first countries in Europe to give women the the right to vote and the right to sit on both local authorities and in parliament.
Limerick women took an active part in the fight for women’s political rights.
Image: Kathleen Clarke, Countess Markievicz, Kate O' Callaghan and Margaret Pearse, mother of Padraig Pearse (National Library of Ireland)
| Year | Rights Granted to Women |
| 1896 | To sit on boards of guardians. |
| 1899 | To vote in local elections and sit on urban and rural district councils. |
| 1911 | To sit on county and city councils |
| 1918 | To vote and city in Parliament/Oireachtas aged 30 and over (men could vote at 21 and over) |
| 1922 | To vote aged 21 and over (full equality with men) |
Historian Sharon Slater tells us that women born or living in Limerick who were pioneers in this area include Mabel Dodds, Helen Laird, Margaret Hinchey and the sisters Eileen and Louisa Hawkes. Limerick women were also active in the Irish Revolution (1916-23), including Mary Perolz, Madge Daly, Mary Spring-Rice, Molly Clancy and Margaret Hartney.
Accordingly, Limerick women have been very active in public life for over a century.
| Year | Name | First Woman to Hold Office |
| 1920 | Emily Crowe | To sit on Limerick City Council |
| 1921 | Máire O’Donovan | To serve as Acting Mayor of Limerick City (she was born in County Cork) |
| 1921 | Kathleen Clarke | To sit in the Dáil |
| 1921 | Kate O’Callaghan | To represent a Limerick constituency in the Dáil (she was born in County Cork) |
| 1939 | Kathleen Clarke | To serve as Mayor in Ireland (she was the furst Lord Mayor of Dublin) |
| 1962 | Frances Condell | To serve as Mayor of Limerick City |
| 1964 | Nora Wrenn | To sit on Limerick County Council |
| 1964 | Kit Ahern | To sit in Seanad Eireann |
| 1998 | Mary Jackman | To serve as Cathaoirleach of Limerick County Council |
| 2014 | Jan O’Sullivan | To be a Cabinet Minister |
Since the 1960s, there has been an ever increasing female presence on Limerick local authorities. On Limerick City Council, the number of women elected increased from one in 1960, to two in 1979 and three in 1999. On Limerick County Council, the number of female members increased from one in 1964 to two in 1967, three in 1989, four in 1999 and six in 2004. Since the establishment of Limerick City and County Council, the number of women elected has increased from six in 2014 to a record nine in 2020.
In total, there have been two female TDs elected for Limerick constituencies: Kate O’Callaghan (1921-23) and Jan O’Sullivan (1998-2020).
Currently, there are two Limerick women in the Oireachtas: Neasa Hourigan, TD for Dublin Central and Maria Byrne, a member of the Seanad.
History of Limerick Women in Politics by Dr Matthew Potter, Curator, Limerick Museum.