Exercise 63C Identifying firsts in Irish representation Key Skills
Success criteria
I can identify when signifi cant historical developments in Irish representation took place.
Timeline of Irish democracy
Independence from Britain; All Irish women over 21 get the right to vote
1922 1937
Irish Constitution introduced
The 4th Amendment to the Constitution reduced the voting age to 18
1972 1990 Mary Robinson
becomes the fi rst female president
The timeline above shows some key dates for democracy in Ireland. ● In 1922, Ireland got independence from Britain and all citizens (men and women) over the age of 21 got the right to vote.
● In 1937, the Constitution was passed. An article in the Constitution could be changed only by a vote of the people.
● One such change was the fourth amendment in 1972, which saw the voting age reduced from 21 to 18.
● In 1990, Mary Robinson was elected the fi rst female President of Ireland. ● In 2011, Susan Denham became the fi rst female Chief Justice.
Working in pairs, look at the following fi rsts in Irish democracy, then see if you can match them to the years in which they happened. Check whether you were correct by researching online.
1. Mary Harney became the fi rst female Tánaiste.
5. Eileen Flynn became the fi rst Traveller to be a member of the Oireachtas when she became a senator.
1992 1956
2. When Brian Crowley became a senator there were no facilities for wheelchair users in the Oireachtas.
6. Máire Geoghegan- Quinn became Ireland’s fi rst female EU commissioner.
1997 1993
3. Dr Moosajee Bhamjee was elected as a Labour Party TD for Clare. He was Ireland’s fi rst Muslim TD.
7. Robert Briscoe became Dublin’s fi rst Jewish Lord Mayor.
4. Leo Varadkar became Ireland’s fi rst openly gay Taoiseach.
8. Councillor Uruemu Adejinmi became the fi rst black county mayor in Ireland when she became Mayor of Longford.