Countess Markievicz Bust - St Stephens Green

This 1954 bronze bust of the Countess Markievicz, is the work of artist Seamus Murphy. Constance Georgine Markievicz, known as Countess Markievicz was an Irish politician, revolutionary, nationalist, suffragist, socialist, the first woman elected to the Westminster Parliament, and was elected Minister for Labour in the First Dáil. She was a pioneer for woman all over the world as she was the first woman worldwide to hold a cabinet position. She was born, Constance Georgine Gore-Booth, at Buckingham Gate in London in 1868, the elder daughter of the Arctic explorer and adventurer Sir Henry Gore-Booth. She grew up in Lissadell House in Co Sligo and was childhood friends of W.B. Yeats. While in Paris studying, she me Casimir Markievicz, known as Count Markievicz, and later married and had a daughter. In 1913 Markievicz's husband moved back to Ukraine, and never returned to live in Ireland. However, they did correspond and he was by her side when she died in 1927 In 1908, Markievicz became actively involved in nationalist politics in Ireland. She joined Sinn Féin and Inghinidhe na hÉireann ('Daughters of Ireland'), a revolutionary women's movement founded by the actress and activist Maud Gonne, muse of W. B. Yeats. In 1909 Markievicz and Bulmer Hobson founded Fianna Éireann, a para-military nationalist scouting organisation that instructed teenage boys in the use of firearms. At its first meeting in Camden Street, Dublin, on 16 August 1909, she was almost expelled on the basis that women did not belong in a physical force movement, but Hobson supported her, and she was elected to the committee. Markievicz also joined James Connolly's socialist Irish Citizen Army As a member of the ICA, Markievicz took part in the 1916 Easter Rising. Markievicz designed the Citizen Army uniform and composed its anthem, based on the tune of a Polish song. Countess Markievicz fought in St Stephens Green, dressed in the same uniform as the her male comrades. Markievicz is credited with a number of killings during the 6 day siege of St Stephens Green including one British Sniper. The British officer who accepted the surrender of the nationalists after reading Padraig Pearse's surrender order, was married to Markievicz's cousin. At the end of the siege Markievica was taken and put into solitary confinement in Kilmainham Gaol while she awaited trial. She was convicted and sentence to death, however due to the fact that she was a woman, her sentence was commuted to life in prison. She ended up imprison in England and was later released in 1917 after the British Government granted a general Amnesty. She was elected to the first Dáil, winning the electioin by 66%, however she could not take up her position as she was once again imprision in England. Markievicz left government at the start of the Irish Civil War in opposition to the Anglo Irish Treaty. She fought for the Republican cause in the Civil War. After the Civil War she joined the Fiann Fáil party and was voted into parliment. She died before she could take up her seat. At her bedside, in hospital were Casimir and Stanislas Markievicz, Éamon de Valera and Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington.