# Constance Markievicz

> Irish politician, first woman elected to the Westminster House of Commons and the Dáil Éireann, and first female Cabinet member in Europe

**Wikidata**: [Q195768](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q195768)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constance_Markievicz)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/constance-markievicz

## Summary

Constance Markievicz was born February 4, 1868, in London.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] She worked as a politician, suffragette, revolutionary, painter, and stage actor.[10][11] Her field included politics, revolution, nationalism, and socialism.[11]Her father was Sir Henry Gore-Booth, 5th Baronet, and her mother was Georgina Mary Hill.[12][5][12] Her siblings were Eva Gore-Booth, Mordaunt Gore-Booth, Mabel Olive Gore-Booth, and Sir Josslyn Gore-Booth, 6th Baronet.[12] She married Casimir Markievicz (1900–present).[13] She had one child, Maeve Alys Markievicz.[5][12]She held the position of Minister for Labour from 1919 to 1922.[10] She was a member of the 31st Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 to 1922.[10] She served as Teachta Dála from 1923 to 1927 and again from 1927 to 1927.[10] She died July 15, 1927, in Dublin.[1][2][3][4][5][6][8].

## Summary
Constance Markievicz was an Irish politician, revolutionary, and artist who made history as the first woman elected to the Westminster House of Commons and the Dáil Éireann. She also became the first female Cabinet member in Europe. Her career encompassed roles as a suffragette, soldier, and painter during a transformative period in Irish history.

## Biography
- Nationality: Irish
- Education: Académie Julian, Slade School of Fine Art
- Known for: First woman elected to the Westminster House of Commons and the Dáil Éireann; first female Cabinet member in Europe
- Affiliations: Fianna Éireann, Cumann na mBan, Irish Citizen Army
- Field(s): Politics, revolution, painting, theatre art

## Contributions
Constance Markievicz contributed to the foundation of the Irish state through her participation in the Irish Republic (1919–1922) and the subsequent Irish Free State (established December 1922). She was a pioneering figure in European governance, becoming the first female Cabinet member in Europe. Her political work included membership in paramilitary organizations such as the Irish Citizen Army and Cumann na mBan, where she supported the fight for Irish independence from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Additionally, she contributed to the arts as a painter and stage actor, having trained at prominent institutions like the Académie Julian and the Slade School of Fine Art.

## FAQs
**What political firsts is Constance Markievicz known for?**
She is recognized as the first woman elected to the Westminster House of Commons and the first woman elected to the Dáil Éireann. Furthermore, she holds the distinction of being the first female Cabinet member in Europe.

**Which military organizations was Constance Markievicz part of?**
She was affiliated with Fianna Éireann, the youth wing of the Irish Republican Army. She was also a member of Cumann na mBan, an Irish republican women's paramilitary organization founded in April 1914, and the Irish Citizen Army, a group of trained trade union volunteers.

**Where did Constance Markievicz receive her art education?**
She studied at the Académie Julian, a former art school in Paris, France, and the Slade School of Fine Art in London, which is part of University College London.

**What were Constance Markievicz's primary professional roles?**
She worked as a politician, suffragette, revolutionary, painter, and stage actor. Her activities were deeply rooted in nationalism, socialism, and the arts.

## Why They Matter
Constance Markievicz matters because she fundamentally altered the landscape of women's participation in government. By becoming the first female Cabinet member in Europe and the first woman elected to major parliamentary bodies in the British Isles, she broke gender barriers that had persisted for centuries. Her involvement in the transition from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland to the Irish Free State highlights her significant influence on the sovereignty and self-governance of the Irish nation. Without her contributions, the progress of women in revolutionary and political movements during the early 20th century would have been significantly diminished.

## Notable For
- First woman elected to the Westminster House of Commons.
- First woman elected to the Dáil Éireann.
- First female Cabinet member in Europe.
- Member of the Irish Citizen Army (inception November 23, 1913).
- Member of Cumann na mBan (inception April 2, 1914).
- Affiliated with Fianna Éireann (Youth wing of the Irish Republican Army).
- Alumni of the Académie Julian (Paris) and Slade School of Fine Art (London).

## Body

### Identity and Aliases
Constance Markievicz was a human and a member of the species Homo sapiens. Throughout her life, she was known by a variety of names and titles, reflecting her heritage and status. Her aliases included Constance Georgine, Countess Markiewicz, Constance Georgina Markievicz, and Constance Georgine Gore-Booth. She was also referred to as Madame de Markievicz, Mme de Markievicz, Madame Markievicz, and simply Constance. The repetition of titles like "Countess Markiewicz" in various records underscores her noble identity.

### Artistic Education and Early Career
Markievicz pursued the arts, specifically painting and theatre art, before her prominent political career. She practiced painting, the application of paint, pigment, or color to a surface. She was also a stage actor, performing live before in-person audiences in the practice of theatre art. Her education took her internationally; she attended the Académie Julian, a former art school in Paris, France, which was established in 1867. Additionally, she studied at the Slade School of Fine Art, an art school in London that is part of University College London and was established in 1871.

### Revolutionary and Military Activities
As a revolutionary, Markievicz participated in efforts to fundamentally change power and organizational structures in Ireland. She was involved in nationalism, an ideology promoting the interests of the Irish nation to gain and maintain sovereignty over its homeland. Her activities also aligned with socialism, a socio-economic system based on social ownership.

She was deeply embedded in the military infrastructure of the Irish independence movement:
*   **Irish Citizen Army:** She was a member of this group, which consisted of trained trade union volunteers from the Irish Transport and General Workers' Union. The group was founded on November 23, 1913, and was headquartered in Dublin at Liberty Hall.
*   **Cumann na mBan:** She participated in this Irish republican women's paramilitary organization. The group was founded on April 2, 1914, and operated in Ireland and Ireland, with its headquarters in Dublin.
*   **Fianna Éireann:** She was associated with the youth wing of the Irish Republican Army, which was headquartered in Dublin.

### Political Career and Historical Context
Markievicz operated as a politician and a suffragette, advocating for women's right to vote while holding positions in government. Her political career unfolded against the backdrop of the dissolution of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, a historical sovereign state that existed from 1801 to 1922.

She was active during the existence of the Irish Republic, a revolutionary state that declared its independence from Great Britain and existed from January 21, 1919, to 1922. Following this period, she witnessed the establishment of the Irish Free State, a state on the island of Ireland that existed between December 6, 1922, and December 1937.

Her engagement in politics involved activities associated with group decisions and governance, leading to her historic elections. She achieved the milestone of being the first woman elected to the Westminster House of Commons and the Dáil Éireann. Her influence culminated in her appointment as a Cabinet member, making her the first female to hold such a position in Europe.

## References

1. Czech National Authority Database
2. Source
3. The Peerage
4. [The Marriage of Miss ConstanceGore-Booth. The Sligo Champion. 1900](https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000432/19001013/112/0005)
5. BnF authorities
6. LIBRIS. 2012
7. Hansard 1803–2005
8. general catalog of BnF
9. Virtual International Authority File
10. CiNii Research
11. Encyclopædia Britannica Online
12. SNAC
13. Find a Grave
14. FemBio database
15. Artists of the World Online
16. Dictionary of Irish Biography
17. A historical dictionary of British women
18. Dictionary of Women Worldwide
19. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
20. Integrated Authority File
21. BBC Things
22. [Source](https://facebook.com/groups/709410852896325?view=permalink&id=822417091595700)
23. Sejm-Wielki.pl