Background

The concept of 'the rights of woman' seemed a natural extension of the concept of the 'rights of man' developed by the writers of the Enlightenment in the eighteenth century.

Women's rights were extended during the nineteenth century in the areas of custody of children, property rights and other rights in marriage.

As the century progressed, the right to vote was extended to more men in England and Ireland, but not to all.

English women could be elected to Local Government councils long before Irish women.

The issue of votes for women received limited publicity in Ireland during the nineteenth century.

Issues of religion, class, Home Rule, nationalism, education and land tenure dominated Irish politics during that time.