ABSTRACT

It is an internationally accepted norm that modern democracies will draw equally on the talents of women and men in providing political leadership. Modern Irish democracy is far from realising this ambition. Although President Mary McAleese was the first woman in the world to follow another woman into the office of elected head of state, this singular achievement has not transferred into national or local politics. There is no doubt that some women politicians have become household names: Mary O’Rourke, Mary Harney and Joan Burton, for example, elicit ready public recognition. Yet the high profile enjoyed by some prominent women politicians only compounds the illusion that Irish politics is well advanced when it comes to the representation of women. This chapter provides an in-depth account of women’s contribution to political life in Ireland today that goes beyond the immediacy of name recognition. In doing so, we will first take a detailed look at the pattern of women’s representation in political and social decision making. We will then explore possible causes of the under-representation of women before assessing the consequences of their absence from public life. Finally, we chart the gradual inclusion of women’s interests as issues of political relevance, before bringing together the threads of discussion in a concluding section.