Meetings held to discuss election strategies to promote interests of women and town tenants

Dublin, 8 August 1923 - After the All-Ireland Conference of the Town Tenants’ League urged the fielding of their candidates in the forthcoming general election, a politically diverse group of women has met in Dublin to discuss doing the same.

The Cork Examiner today confirms a report from yesterday’s Freeman’s Journal to the effect that a private conference was held last week in the Mansion House in Dublin to discuss women’s representation in the Dáil and whether women candidates should be put forward.

The meeting, which reflected a broad base of political opinion, was told that women’s interests had been neglected in the previous Dáil. It further determined that a body of independent women TDs would be of great value to the country and the restoration of peace.

Among those present was Lady Dockrell, Mrs Sheehy-Skeffington, Ethel MacNaughton and Misses Patricia Hoey and Chrissie Doyle. Also in attendance were members of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals who were present as individuals and who were informed that should women candidates be put forward, the protection of animals will be a key plank in their platform.

The women’s meeting follows a conference held at the same Mansion House, where the Town Tenants’ condemned the Rents Act and heard that the most effective means of combating the legislation was for the town tenants to select their own candidates in constituencies where the urban population warranted it, and where not, to confine town tenants support for those candidates who adopted their programme. Mr. Ferran from Belfast told the conference that every member of the existing Dáil that supported the Rent Bill ought to be defeated at the upcoming election.

It was argued at the conference that town tenants should receive treatment equal to the agricultural tenants who were to be given rightful possession under the terms of the Dáil’s Land Act. According to Mr. Coghlan Briscoe, Secretary of the Town Tenants’ League, the only hope of securing legislation to afford the right to purchase their own houses on the same principle as tenant farmers was through return of Town Tenants’ members to the next Dáil. 

[Editor's note: This is an article from Century Ireland, a fortnightly online newspaper, written from the perspective of a journalist 100 years ago, based on news reports of the time.]