Women Leading the Way in Cork
A new book profiling 12 inspirational women who have made major contributions to local government in Cork city will be published later this year.
‘Leading the Way’ is to be published by Cork City Libraries with the support of the Cork City Council Women’s Caucus and profiles the likes of Anna Haslam, Mary MacSwiney as well as former CEOs and lord mayors.
The authors are Aodh Quinlivan (Senior Lecturer in UCC), John Ger O’Riordan (retired local government official) and Anne Twomey (Adult Educator with the Cork Education and Training Board).
The book begins with profiles of three women who did not serve on Cork Corporation/City Council but who paved the way for others. Anna Haslam was a campaigner for women’s rights and a leading figure in the suffragette movement. Largely due to her persistent lobbying, women were included in key local government legislation in 1896, 1898 and 1911.
Susanne Rouviere Day - an Irish feminist, novelist, and playwright – emerged as the first woman to contest an election for Cork Corporation in 1914; alas she missed out on a seat by a mere five votes. Mary MacSwiney was a famous figure in local and national politics, whose achievements have tended to be overshadowed by her famous brother, Terence. Elected to the Dáil in May 1921, she was a major influence on local politics in the city.
The first woman to win election to Cork Corporation was Anne Sutton in January 1920. Noted for her diligence and hard work, she served until June 1924 when she resigned her seat. Jenny Dowdall has the distinction of being Cork’s first woman lord mayor. Elected as First Citizen in 1959, she was particularly active in the promotion of the cultural life of Cork.
Chrissie Aherne bridged a gap of 30 years in becoming the first woman since Dowdall to be elected lord mayor of Cork in July 1989. The first grandmother to hold the office, her primary concerns during her term were unemployment and the lack of opportunities for Cork’s youth.
Deirdre Clune was elected lord mayor in 2005. During that year, Cork celebrated its prestigious status as a designated European Capital of Culture and Deirdre was to the fore in promoting Cork as a vibrant and exciting city.
The first Labour Party woman to serve as Cork’s lord mayor was Catherine Clancy in 2013/2014. During her term, Catherine had great support from party colleague Cllr Lorraine Kingston, who was elected as deputy lord mayor. This was the first occasion in Cork city that both positions were both held by women. The following June, Catherine presented the mayoral chain to Mary Shields. She was committed to working to ensure less partisan party politics in the council chamber to create a strong united approach on important Cork issues.
The latest woman to serve as lord mayor was Deirdre Forde, elected in 2022. In her mayoral speech Deirdre Forde said that her priorities included driving sustainability, creating a ‘city for people’, the promotion of the arts and furthering female participation in politics.
In 2014, Ann Doherty became the first woman appointed as chief executive to Cork City Council. Despite little or no local government background, her tenure was marked by innovation, a calm authority, honesty and humour. Ann earned the respect of the elected members and worked closely with them over the following 10 years.
A career public servant, Valerie O’Sullivan was appointed as Chief Executive of Cork City Council in October 2024. Prior to that she held various senior management positions in Cork City Council, the HSE and Cork County Council. Valerie is driven by a desire to ‘get things done’ and ‘leave a place better than I found it’.