Women of Dublin tour

Explore Dublin Through it’s Historic Women

In Dublin, you might pass plaques and statues every day without giving them a second look  but on this walking tour, we stopped to honour the women behind them. Some were revolutionaries. Some were doctors. Some just wanted fair pay and decent treatment. All of them changed the course of Irish history.

 1. Rosie Hackett – the women behind the bridge

Born into poverty in Dublin’s tenements, Rosie Hackett stood up against the poor working conditions in Jacob’s Biscuit Factory. In 1911, she co-founded the Irish Women Workers Union and led the charge during the brutal Dublin Lockout, where 20,000 workers were literally locked out of their jobs for unionising. Rosie didn’t back down, she helped run soup kitchens for families, joined the Irish Citizen Army during the 1916 Rising, and even helped print the original Proclamation of the Irish Republic. Her name now lives on in the Rosie Hackett Bridge over the River Liffey – a rare public space in Dublin named after a woman.

2. Dr. Emily Winifred Dickson – the medical pioneer

At the Royal College of Surgeons, we met Dr. Emily Winifred Dickson who was the first woman ever to become a fellow there (and in England too). She fought her way into a profession dominated by men, was denied licences, turned away from international hospitals, and even had students petition against her. But she kept going – becoming a public speaker, a lecturer, and a major supporter of female medical students. Even after a 15-year career break to raise her children, she returned to medicine at 60 and worked until she was 77. Today, the RCSI’s Emily Winifred Dickson Award honours women in medicine in her name

To read more about the inspirational Emily Winifred Dickson please visit: https://women.rcsi.com/women/dr-emily-winifred-dickson/

 3. Constance Markievicz & Eva Gore-Booth – sisters in revolution

At St. Stephen’s Green, we visited the bust of Countess Constance Markievicz who was a revolutionary, politician, suffragette, and the first woman elected to the UK Parliament. She refused her seat (and was in prison at the time anyway). She played a key role in the 1916 Rising, was second-in-command to Michael Collins, and served as Minister for Labour. Her sister Eva Gore-Booth was equally inspiring. She was a poet and activist who campaigned for workers’ rights, especially for women in fringe industries. Eva and her partner Esther Roper also founded Urania, a ground breaking magazine celebrating same-sex love decades ahead of its time.

4.  The Dunnes Stores Strikers – the power of protest

Next stop: Dunnes on Grafton Street where, in 1984, a 21-year-old cashier named Mary Manning refused to ring up South African grapefruit in protest of apartheid. She was suspended, and ten of her co-workers joined her outside in protest. Their strike lasted 2 years and 9 months, drawing international attention and helping lead to a national boycott of South African goods. Archbishop Desmond Tutu personally invited them to South Africa  but they were denied entry under apartheid laws. Today, a plaque stands outside the store as a reminder that real change often starts with ordinary people taking a stand.

To read more about the Dunnes Stores Strikers visit: https://developmenteducation.ie/objects/dunnes-stores-strikers-on-the-picket-line/

5. Molly Malone and the fight for respect

The Molly Malone statue is a Dublin icon but over the years, tourists began touching the statue’s chest for “good luck,” reducing a working-class woman’s legacy to a photo op. The Empower Her Voice campaign stepped in, using chalk to share real women’s stories of street harassment around Dublin and calling out inappropriate behaviour. One message written in 2023 read: “Groping isn’t Good Luck. Don’t Touch Me.” Recently, Dublin City Council placed stewards by the statue proving once again that respect is just as important as remembrance.

6. The Women of Trinity College Dublin

We ended our walk at Trinity College, where women were banned from attending until 1904. Even then, they weren’t allowed on campus after 6pm, couldn’t live in student accommodation, and weren’t welcome in most clubs or societies. A famous quote from former provost George Salmon: “Over my dead body will women enter this college” became poetic justice when women were finally admitted shortly after his death. Students still pose with his statue on graduation day. Change took time: the curfew wasn’t fully lifted until 1969. Today, Trinity is home to thousands of brilliant women, many of whom walk in the footsteps of those early trailblazers.

These are just a few of the women who changed Dublin and Ireland.

Their stories are powerful, inspiring, and often overlooked. But they’re right here, in the streets around us.
Join us on the next Atlas Women’s History Tour and walk in their footsteps.