Mary MacSwiney (pronounced 'MacSweeney'; Irish Máire MacSuibhne) (27 March 1872 – 8 March 1942) was an Irish politician and educationalist. Born in London, she returned to Ireland with her family at the age of six and was educated in Cork. After working at private schools in England and France she studied for a Teaching Diploma at Cambridge and worked at Hillside Convent, Farnborough and the Benedictine Convent, Ventnor.

On the death of her mother she returned to Cork and took a post at St Angela’s Ursuline High School where she had been a pupil. She joined the Gaelic League and Inghinidhe na hÉireann, and was a founder member of Cumann na mBan in Cork and became a National Vice-President of the organisation. After she was dismissed from her teaching post in 1916 because of her republican sympathies, she and her sister Annie founded Scoil Íte, modelled on St. Enda's School, and she remained involved with the school for the rest of her life. She was elected to the Cork constituency in Dail Éireann after the death of her brother Terence on hunger strike, and gave evidence in Washington before the American Commission on Conditions in Ireland. For nine months she and Terence's widow, Muriel, toured America lecturing and giving interviews. She strongly opposed the Anglo-Irish Treaty, was interned and went on hunger strike twice. She retained her seat in the 1923 election and along with other Sinn Fein members she refused to enter the Dáil. She later broke with de Valera and Fianna Fáil over entry to Dáil Éireann, and continued to maintain a hardline republican position until her death. Conradh na Gaeilge (The Gaelic League) is an organization for the purpose of keeping the Irish language spoken in Ireland. ... Inghinidhe na hÉireann (Daughters of Ireland in Irish language) was a revolutionary women’s society founded by Maud Gonne on Easter Sunday 1900. ... Cumann na mBan (IPA: ; literally Womens League) was an Irish republican womens paramilitary organisation formed in April 1914 as an auxiliary of the Irish Volunteers (IV). ... St. ... The Dáil Chamber Dáil Éireann[1] is the lower house of the Oireachtas (parliament) of the Republic of Ireland. ... Terence MacSwiney Terence MacSwiney was born in Cork City, County Cork Ireland. ... Signature page of the Anglo-Irish Treaty The Anglo-Irish Treaty, officially called the Articles of association between Ireland and the British Empire, was a treaty between the Government of the United Kingdom and representatives of the (extra-judicial) Irish Republic which concluded the Anglo-Irish War. ... The Dáil Chamber Dáil Éireann[1] is the lower house of the Oireachtas (parliament) of the Republic of Ireland. ... Eamon de Valera1 (born Edward George de Valera, Irish name Éamonn de Bhailéara) (October 14, 1882 - August 29, 1975), was a leader of Irelands struggle for independence from Britain in the early 20th Century, and of the Republican opposition in the ensuing Irish Civil War, and was subsequently... Fianna Fáil - The Republican Party (IPA ; commonly translated roughly into English as Soldiers of Destiny (though the more literal translation is Soldiers [Fianna] of Ireland),¹ is currently the largest political party in Ireland with 55,000 members. ... The Dáil Chamber Dáil Éireann[1] is the lower house of the Oireachtas (parliament) of the Republic of Ireland. ...

References

• Mary MacSwiney papers in University College Dublin Archives. (IE UCDA P48a)