Galway Advertiser 1975/1975_08_07/GA_07081975_E1_005.pdf 

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It's hard to believe that it was only in 1918 that women r the age of thirty were granted the right to vote. In 1929 women were entitled to vote over 21 years of age. It is equally difficult to credit
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the enormous struggle waged by women especially in Britain to gain the franchise. Some actually killed themselves: Emily Davison threw herself under the King's Derby horse in 1913 and died. Others

willingly went to prison to today is Miss Margaret Rob suffer hunger strike and hard inson who played no small ship which impaired their part in the fight for womens' rights. In this International health after release. These women were outrag Women's Year our correspond eous and remarkable. And ent Jane Mullins speaks to living in Moyard, Co. Galway,

A Very Remarkable Lady
T o call M i s s Margaret Robinson old w o u l d o n l y b e to insult her, even t h o u g h she will celebrate h e r 100th b i r t h day next M a y . W h e n s h e greeted m e at h e r h o m e in Moyard, Co. Galway, I would have taken h e r to b e m u c h younger t h a n h e r 99 years. One time Suffragette and former headmistress Miss Robinson h a s h a d a v e r y chequered lafe a n d career b u t she still retains t h e very essence of her y o u t h , her zeal for life and her great sense of humour. Miss R o b i n s o n was b o r n in Co. D o w n a n d was o n e of a family of six. As h e r p a r e n t s were forward looking p e o p l e , she attended a co-educational school, w h i c h d i d n o t strike her as u n u s u a l . T h o u g h in those days in I r e l a n d it w a s . her parents died at t h e early age of 60 which left M i s s Robinson w i t h t h e task of fending for herself. S h e h a d been educated for t e a c h i n g and had a degree in M a t h e matics, so naturally it was this profession s h e e n t e r e d . T h e r e was n o o n e event w h i c h led M i s s R o b i n s o n t o believe in t h e Suffragette c a u s e , b u t s h e h a d always b e e n i n t e t e s t e d in t h e plight of t h e d o w n - t r o d d e n . S o it was n a t u r a l she w o u l d lend h e r s u p p o r t to t h e u p a n d c o m i n g Suffragette move m e n t . T h e i r aim was votes for w o m e n . A n d it was t h i s slogan w h i c h d o m i n a t e d p o l i tical life in Britain in t h e early 1900's a n d c h a n g e d irrevoc ably t h e role of w o m e n in o u r society. M i s s R o b i n s o n joined the W o m e n ' s Social and Political U n i o n b r a n c h in Belfast a n d besides a t t e n d i n g U n i o n m e e t i n g s in t h e U l s t e r H a l l she sold their p a p e r " V o t e s for W o m e n " on t h e streets of Belfast. I n 1911 t h e Belfast b r a n c h of t h e W S P U w e r e asked if a n y o n e of t h e i r m e m b e r s would take a p e t i tion t o t h e H o u s e of C o m mons. Miss Robinson volun teered as did D r . E l i z a b e t h Bell, t h e first w o m a n d o c t o r in Belfast a n d b o t h of t h e m w e n t over t o L o n d o n . T h e y w e r e given instructions as t o w h a t t o d o from M r s . P a n k h u r s t , t h e founder of w o m e n s suffrage a n d M i s s R o b i n s o n c o n t i n u e s : " W e were also given a few stones t o p u t in o u r pockets--just ordinary stones a b o u t t h e size y o u c o u l d h o l d in y o u r p o c k e t . I h a d a b o u t t h r e e b u t I only u s e d o n e . " A n d it was t h i s stone w h i c h broke t h e display w i n d o w of S w a n a n d E d g a r ' s s h o p in O x f o r d S t r e e t . M i s s R o b i n s o n was swiftly arrested and taken to Vine Street police station. S h e was r e leased o n bail for t w o w e e k s , t h e n a p p e a r e d in c o u r t . " T h e magistrate was a very old m a n a n d h e looked as if h e was half sleeping. H e said to m e h e w o u l d let m e off if I p r o m i s e d never to d o it again. W a r was declared in 1914 and all Suffragette prisoners were released as w o m e n flock ed to sign on for war work. " A n d t h e y w o u l d n ' t have w o n the war w i t h o u t t h e m , " q u i p s M i s s R o b i n s o n . As w o m e n volunteered for all k i n d s of jobs s u c h as working in m u n i t i o n s factories a n d even driving steam rollers, t h e r e was no point in c o n t i n u ing their fight for t h e vote. T h e various agitations a n d campaigns were r e w a r d e d in 1918 with t h e e n d of t h e w a r w h e n a limited suffrage was g r a n t e d t o w o m e n over t h i r t y years of age. M i s s R o b i n s o n ' s message for today's W o m e n ' s L i b b e r s is " u s e t h e vote we e a r n e d for y o u . " She believes " W o m e n ' s L i b " got off o n t h e w r o n g foot and personally she sees b e y o n d their fight for equality of t h e sexes, to t h e acceptance a n d recognition of a w o m a n as a p e r s o n . " W o m e n have m o r e brains t h a n m e n , so w h y n o t u s e t h e m and enter p o l i t i c s . " Miss Robinson had thought of entering politics if s h e was younger and adds thoughtfully: " I t ' s no u s e trying n o w as younger p e o p l e are n e e d e d . " Miss R o b i n s o n came t o C o n n e m a r a 47 years ago o n a fishing trip a n d stayed. A c o m p l i m e n t to C o n n e m a r a M i s s R o b i n s o n has m a d e h e r h o m e in it because of it's beauty a n d peacefulness. S h e q u o t e s h e r m o v i n g in t h e w o r d s of R o b e r t L l o y d P r a e g e r : " I love t h e N o r t h a n d I was b o r n in t h e N o r t h b u t in t h e m e a n t i m e let m e live in the South." Since m o v i n g t o M o y a r d M i s s R o b i n s o n has b e c o m e totally involved in local activities. S h e is a m e m b e r of Cleggan I . C . A . G u i l d . T h i s

" W o m e n should use the vote we earned for t h e m . " I said 'of course I'll n o t promise.' and he snapped ' t w o m o n t h s in H o l l o w a y ' -- and we were taken away in t h e Black M a r i a . " So M i s s R o b i n s o n spent a bleak C h r i s t m a s in prison for her Suffragette beliefs. B u t even t h o u g h locked in their cells in Holloway, Miss Robinson remembers the Suffragette never e n d i n g fight to b e t t e r their lot. " W e succeeded in getting a lady doctor and larger w i n d o w s in t h e cells." T h a n k f u l l y M i s s R o b i n s o n says she w a s n ' t force fed like s o m e of h e r c o m p a n i o n s . T h i s was t h e m o s t painful indignity t o w h i c h w o m e n were subjected. G a g s were used to o p e n their m o u t h a n d if t h e victim resisted she was fed by a t u b e through the nose. Miss R o b i n s o n was released after two months but her experi ence d i d n ' t deter h e r from c o n t i n u i n g in t h e Votes for W o m e n campaign.

" W o m e n have m o r e brains G u i l d originally started as a b r a n c h of t h e R e d Cross in which Miss R o b i n s o n was a C o m m a n d a n t d u r i n g the war. S h e is interested also in t h e Royal National Lifeboat I n s t i t u t e and is a m e m b e r of t h e British Council for W o m e the British Council for Women. As a pastime M i s s R o b i n son used to play a lot of hockey. S h e played for the Irish international t e a m one year, b u t they were beaten by E n g l a n d . T h e i r loss, s h e r e m e m b e r s was d u e to a very

than m e n c o m m o n sense. " T h a t ' s what is needed today and also a fair education, that is what every o c u n t r y n e e d s . " S h e attributes her great age to both mental and physical activity a n d with all M i s s Robinson has achieved in her lifetime it's n o wonder she is t h e age she is. As I left a smiling M i s s R o b i n s o n , I h a d i shoot from a spider plant in m y ha.id. a small gift, as if I needed a concrete r e m i n d e r of m y very pleasant day with Miss R o b i n s o n in M o y a r d .

" W e were also given a few stones to p u t in o u r p o c k e t s . "

on s t r i k e on s u c h a basic p r i n c i p l e a n d w i t h t h e vin dication of the Labour Court, and a staff led breakaway group who've b r o k e n a n d i n s u l t e d official pickets and tried to usurp t h e r o l e of a w h o l e b r a n c h CROWN STRIKE of a U n i o n . W e d e m a n d that he state clearly, and D e a r Sir, W e c o n c u r with t h e cen w i t h o u t d o i n g a t r i c k of s u r e of S e n a t o r M i c h a e l D. t h e loop, whose side he's Higgins e x p r e s s e d by Mrs. on. R i d d e l l in y o u r l a s t i s s u e . In t h e l a s t few w e e k s T h e c e n s u r e is a g a i n s t t h e a t t e m p t s have been made, Labour senator's "loquaIo t u r n w h a t is a fight be t i o u s " l a m e n t a t i o n s in t h e tween a union asserting S e n a t e o v e r t h e p l i g h t of its right to d e c i d e who its s a l m o n in t h e privately o w n officers w i l l b e a n d owned Corrib, while he the Crown owners and remains deafingly silent Management, into a fight over m a j o r issues affecting b e t w e e n t w o s e t s of U n i o n s w o r k e r s in G a l w a y and --English based and Irish nationally. b a s e d . T h i s is a c l e a r att Mrs. Riddell mentions empt to sow disunity the Crown strike. This a m o n g w o r k e r s . It is all s t r i k e is o v e r a s i m p l e b u t t h e m o r e b l a t a n t in t h a t d e e p i s s u e , t h e d e f e n c e of legislation making Irish trade unionism and the based Executives manda s h o p floor o r g a n i s a t i o n of tory on English based t h e w o r k e r s in C r o w n . A n d u n i o n s is on t h e offing. W e note that the L a b o u r C o u r t t h e r e f o r e call o n t h e S e n a body not r e p u t e d for a t o r to ( i ) C o n d e m n p u b b e i n g p a r t i a l to w o r k e r s , licly t h i s a t t e m p t t o o p e n has stated t h e g r o u n d s for u p old w o u n d s in t h e U n i o n t h e a t t a c k on t h e C r o w n m o v e m e n t (ii) Call pub steward and his dismissal licly on h i s o w n B r a n c h to b e flimsy a n d i n a d e Committee and Branch q u a t e . Y e t in t w o p r o t e s t S e c r e t a r y ( W U I ) to con marches called to highlight d e m n it ( i i i ) R e q u e s t t h e t h i s i n j u s t i c e S e n a t o r Hig Galway T r a d e s Council to gins has been conspicuous c o n d e m n it ( i v ) C a l l p u b for h i s a b s e n c e . Y e t t h e licly o n all b r a n c h e s of t h e Senator has found the time G a l w a y L a b o u r P a r t y to to go b e h i n d t h e b a c k s of c o n d e m n it. W e a l s o call to the workers, and without the S e n a t o r to w i t h d r a w consulting them before his attack on t h e "organhand, to the Crown mana i s e d g a n g s " who try to gers and has been seen w r e s t a b i t of g o o d food hob nobbing with these from t h e privately owned s a m e m a n a g e r s i n s o m e of C o r r i b a n d to c o n d e m n the t h e d e a r e s t h o t e l s in Gal f i n i n g a n d s e n t e n c i n g of way. W e challenge t h e Denis O'Connell. S e n a t o r to a c c o u n t b e f o r e S i n c e r e l y , N e i l Bell, the public for t h e s e slipp Secretary, Socialist ery methods. Presumably Worker's Movement, Senator Higgins, as a mem Galway Branch. b e r of t h e W U I , c a n n o t b e (Address with Editor). neutral between workers

good English centre forward. A n d like a good sportswoman she accepted defeat as all part of t h e game. An avid reader, Miss R o b i n s o n reads t h e n e w s papers and biographies and historical works. S h e also likes a good detective story and says " w o m e n write better detective stories than m e n . " M i s s Robinson also plays bridge with her wide circle of friends a r o u n d M o y a r d and likes to crochet w h e n she's not m u c h else to d o at h o m e . M i s s R o b i n s o n ' s m o t t o is

Letters to the Editor

Where ye nre ayain
Well, m e auld flowers, t h e r e y e a r e , t h e races are over a n d t h e t o w n is packed to t h e b r i m with tourists of all shapes and sizes a n d t h e p r o p h e t s of d o o m w h o were speaking in J u n e m u s t n o w concede t h a t it will p r o b a b l y b e a n o t h e r record S u m m e r . Speaking of t h e p r o p h e t s of d o o m . I t h i n k it is still fair to say t h a t t h e season in o u r fair city has never started before t h e second week in July and p r o b a b l y n e v e r will, and so, every year in J u n e t h e y holler every year in J u n e they holl " r u i n " and lo a n d behold t h e season always starts right on the button. C o n g r a t u l a t i o n s to t h e auld sons in t h e C o r p o r a t i o n for t w o t h i n g s . Firstly t h e p r o

vision of t w o d e c e n t litter bins at M o o n ' s a n d D i l l o n ' s . S e c o n d l y for finally getting t h e City M u s e u m o p e n again. T h e honorary Curator, M r . E t i e n n e R y n n e , tells m e that business is brisk a n d that t h e r e is a great a m o u n t of interest. W h a t a pity t h a t there is n o t a really d e c e n t building in t h e city t o h o u s e a p r o p e r m u s e u m . A n excellent loca tion would have been t h e old Pro-Cathedral. One wonders t h a t it was n o t h a n d e d over t o t h e city at t h e commissioning of G a l w a y C a t h e d r a l , p a r ticularly as G a l w a y city gave t h e site for t h a t C a t h e d r a l free, gratis a n d for n o t h i n g t o t h e same people w h o vacated the Pro-Cathedral. A h sure, t h e r e ' s n o fairness in this world. Finally, a w o r d a b o u t a new club, the Fifty-Sixty C l u b in t h e back of t h e Coachman on Friday nights, starting t o m o r r o w night with food a n d drinkies until 12.30 a n d dancing until 1 a.m. S o u n d s like a good scene. S e e ye b a b i e s . DICK BYRNE

Water Safety Weekend
L a s t weekend for t h e first t i m e in G a l w a y a n i n t e r national W a t e r Safety C o m p e t i t i o n was held at L e i s u r e land. Taking part were teams from Australia, F r a n c e a n d I r e l a n d . Following t h e s u c cesful event t h e r e was a lavish prize-giving c e r e m o n y at t h e A r d i l a u n H o t e l o n M o n d a y evening. First prize-winners were (left) M a e v e Bearra ( I r e l a n d ) , G r a h a m e W h y t e (Australia), Terry Mason (Ireland), T o n y Hogan (Ireland), Assumpta Corish (Ireland) and Gerard Lancelot (France). T h e competition was a r r a n g e d b y t h e Irish W a t e r Safety Association a n d t h e prizes w e r e d o n a t e d and p r e s e n t e d by M r . Neillus Faller of S t e p h e n Faller L t d . M r . Faller p r a i s e d t h e work of t h e Association a n d said t h a t h e was always a s t o u n d e d that m a n y of t h e professional fishermen o n t h e C o r r i b , in c h a r g e of b o a t s , d o n o t k n o w h o w to s w i m . A l s o very few of these b o a t s carry

M r J i m M u l c a h y , b r o t h e r of M r . J o h n M u l c a h y of A s h f o r d C a s t l e , p r e s e n t i n g a n o l d G a i w a y S i l v e r T a n k a r d t o P e t e r C l a g u e , son of C o l . S i r D. C l a g u e , o w n e r of T a m m e r F o r s , w i n n e r of t h e A s h f o r d C a s t l e H a n d i c a p w h i c h w a s t h e F e a t u r e R a c e onXYte l a s t d a y of G a l w a y R a c e s . W i t h t h e m in t h e p i c t u r e a r e ( f r o m l e f t ) : L o r d K i l l a n i n . C h a i r m a n of G a l w a y R a c e s , M r . T o m M u l c a h y , M r s . U r s u l a M a g n i e r , M r . C l e m M a g n i e r , t r a i n e r of t h e w i n n e r a n d M r . R o r y M u r p h y , G e n e r a l M a n a g e r a n d D i r e c t o r of J o h n Mulcahy Hotels. OYSTER FESTIVAL P l a n s a r c n o w at a n a d v a n ced stage for this y e a r ' s Galway Oyster Festival, the 21st in succession. I t p r o m ises to b e t h e biggest a n d b e s t ever festival. I t takes place o n t h e 12th, 13th, a n d 14th of S e p t e m b e r . Bookings h a v e already started to c o m e in a n d so a n y b o d y wishing t o get tickets should apply t o M r s . A n n F l a n a g a n , Bridge H o u s e C e n t r e , D o m i n i c k St., G a l w a y . T e l . 65308. T h e P e a r l for t h i s y e a r ' s festival will b e t w e n t y - o n e year old A n n e Melia from N e w D o c k s .

any e m e r g e n c y equipment whatsoever. S u r e l y if w e a r e to take this m a t t e r seriously boats and engines should b e p r o p e r l y checked, t h e p e r s o n in charge should b e able t o s w i m or at least t h e y s h o u l d wear an a p p r o v e d life jacket, and t h e r e s h o u l d be s o m e verification t h a t t h e y are capable of taking people o u t o n t h e lake a n d b r i n g i n g t h e m h o m e safely. T h e o n l y p o i n t in their favour at p r e s e n t is t h a t very few, if any, of these professional

b o a t m e n seem to get into t r o u b l e . T h e y obviously h a v e an in-built skill w h i c h t h e a m a t e u r does not h a v e .

FOR SALE
1975 A u d i 100. W o u l d t a k e small car as p a r t payment. P h o n e 62649