"She has broken down the barrier of bigotry and exclusiveness and forced her way into the profession": Irish women in medicine, c.1880s-1920s

Abstract

This chapter explores the history of the first generation of women medical graduates in Ireland and draws comparisons between the history of women in the medical profession in Ireland with the Russian case. Despite the significantly different social and cultural settings, there are similarities between attitudes towards the admission of women to medical schools in both countries. Focusing on the Irish case, this chapter suggests that there, women were largely supported in their quest to gain admission to Irish institutions, and appear to have been treated in an egalitarian manner with regard to their educational experiences. As in Russia, early women students were provided with separate teaching facilities in some instances. The chapter concludes with discussion of the careers that the first generation of Irish female doctors pursued, suggesting that they found a niche in the field of general practice.