Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin T.D., has today (7 March) paid tribute to the huge contribution made by Irish women on the global stage ahead of International Women’s Day.
Marking International Women’s Day, which has been celebrated since 1911, Minister Martin also highlighted the key role women have played in shaping Ireland’s collective cultural and creative identity.
International Women’s Day is a global celebration of women’s rights, bringing attention to issues such as gender equality and the social, economic, cultural, and political advancement of women. This year’s theme is “Embrace Equity”
Speaking today, Minister Martin said:
“It is very important, on International Women’s Day, that we mark the myriad contributions women have made to Irish culture, to the arts, our sports and media, and of course an Ghaeilge. And globally, Irish women such as Sonia O’Sullivan, Katie Taylor, Katie McCabe, Maureen O’Hara, Maria Edgeworth, Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill, Mary Swanzy, Sybill Connolly, Mary Robinson, Saoirse Ronan, Enya, Marian Keyes and Maeve Binchy have each excelled in their own field, in their own times, and have made a significant mark on the world.
“To celebrate this year’s International Women’s Day, our national cultural institutions have a range of activities for everyone to enjoy, and my department is supporting these initiatives that celebrate what women have done. I encourage more women to take part in all aspects of our cultural and sporting heritage.”
The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media – in conjunction with agencies and bodies under its aegis – has arranged a wide variety of events across the cultural landscape to mark this year’s celebration.
Highlights include:
- The National Museum of Ireland-Decorative Arts and History, housed at Collins Barracks Dublin, will host an interactive ‘handling session’ called Unconvertable Rebels.
It will explore objects from the Museum’s handling collection which reflect the history of women’s activism during the revolutionary era of 1913-1923, highlighting several key figures who shaped this extraordinary period of Irish history. It will feature objects, such as bullets, pamphlets and badges, representing the many roles women filled during this turbulent period.
More details available here.
- The Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) has arranged a variety of activities for International Women’s Day, such as a biodiversity walk through their magnificent formal gardens and meadows. Visitors can also learn all there is to know about natural dyeing and ink making processes, as well as taking part in a guided tour of the retrospective exhibition, ‘Irish Gothic’ by Patricia Hurl. More information can be found here.
- Dublin’s James Joyce Centre will host ‘Reading Molly’, a group reading of Molly Bloom’s famous soliloquy from James Joyce’s Ulysses. This extraordinary final chapter of Joyce’s epic Dublin novel brings out all the wit and passion of one of the finest passages of writing in modern literature. See here for more details.
- On March 8th, the National Gallery of Ireland is hosting an International Women’s Day-themed tour, exploring a selection of works by women artists in the Gallery’s permanent collection. More details available here.
- And in Cork, the Crawford Art Gallery will be promoting three Irish artists from their Behind the Scenes exhibition. Norah Brigid Ní Chuill’s work looks at Traveller culture in a positive or non-stereotypical light. Angela Burchill is a member of the Crawford Supported Studios, and Suzanna Chan is an artist of colour whose work challenges the performance of stereotypical gender roles. The artworks by these women bring diversity and inclusion to the National Collection. More details available here.
