July 15, 1927

Irish patriot, social activist and suffragist Countess Constance de Markievicz died at the age of 59 on July 15, 1927 in Dublin. Born to a wealthy English family with ties to Ireland, Markievicz became the first ever woman to be elected to the British House of Commons in December 1918. Yet, Markievicz along with her political party Sinn Feinn, chose not to take her seat and instead helped form the first Dail Eireann. Upon her death, writer Sean O’Casey commented, “One thing she had in abundance – physical courage.”