Kathleen O'Callaghan

Kathleen O'Callaghan
O'Callaghan in her widow's attire, taken in 1921.
Teachta Dála
In office May 1921 – August 1923
Constituency	Limerick City–Limerick East
Personal details
Born	Kathleen Murphy (1885-10-11)11 October 1885 Lissandra, Crossmahon, County Cork, Ireland
Died	16 March 1961(1961-03-16) (aged 75) Limerick, Ireland
Spouse	Michael O'Callaghan
Education	St Mary's Dominican College, Dublin
Alma mater	Royal University of Ireland University of Cambridge

British Army intelligence file for Kate O'Callaghan

Kathleen O'Callaghan (née Murphy; 11 October 1885 – 16 March 1961) was an Irish Sinn Féin politician and academic.

She was born at Lissandra, Crossmahon, Bandon, County Cork in 1885.^[1] She was educated at St Mary's Dominican College, Dublin, the Royal University of Ireland and the University of Cambridge.^[2] Before entering politics she was a member of Cumann na mBan.^[3] In 1914, she married Michael O'Callaghan, who later became a Limerick City Councillor and Mayor of Limerick.^[4] He was killed in front of her by the Auxiliary Division of the Royal Irish Constabulary at their home in 1921.^[1][5]

She was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Sinn Féin Teachta Dála (TD) at the 1921 elections for the Limerick City–Limerick East constituency.^[6] She voted against the Anglo-Irish Treaty and sided with Éamon de Valera. She was re-elected at the 1922 general election, this time as an Anti-Treaty Sinn Féin TD. In accordance with Sinn Féin abstentionist policy of the time, she did not take her seat in the 3rd Dáil. She lost her seat at the 1923 general election.^[7]

She was a senior lecturer in education at Mary Immaculate College from 1912 to 1914, and again from 1924 to 1928.^[2]

References

1. McCoole, S. (2003). No Ordinary Women: Irish Female Activists in the Revolutionary Years 1900–1923. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, p.190, 191.
2. Coleman, Marie (October 2009). "O'Callaghan, Kate (Kathleen)". Dictionary of Irish Biography. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
3. "Kathleen O'Callaghan". Centre for Advancement of Women in Politics. Retrieved 22 March 2007.
4. Civil Marriage Certificate Ireland, 30 July 1914, St Joseph’s Church, Limerick.
5. "Letter of Mrs Kate O'Callaghan to Mr Éamon de Valera in 1937 in connection with the proposed Constitution". Discovering Women in Irish History. Archived from the original on 6 February 2012. Retrieved 22 March 2007.
6. "Kathleen O'Callaghan". Oireachtas Members Database. Retrieved 26 April 2009.
7. "Kathleen O'Callaghan". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 26 April 2009.