They have been the backbone of local communities, behind the scenes working together to combat isolation and foster advances in education, electricity supply, infrastructure, and health, and now this year the Irish Countrywomen’s Association has yet another achievement to celebrate, its centenary.
The ICA was founded in May 1910 by a small group of well educated and largely Protestant women in Bree, Co Wexford, who dreamt of passing on opportunites to fellow women and changing communities for the better. Their dream flourished and the ICA grew from strength to strength with guilds springing up all over the country.
Now, 100 years on, there are 700 local guilds throughout Ireland in cities, towns, and villages. In Galway alone there are 32 guilds in Abbeyknockmoy, Ahascragh, Ballyconneely, Barna, Caltra, Capptagle, Castlegar, Claran, Cleggan, Clifden, Clonberne, Cooloo-Moylough, Corofin, Creagh, Gort, Inis Oirr, Kilbeacanty, Killererin, Killimor, Killoran, Kilrickle, Kilronan, Knocknacarra, Labane, Maree, Monivea, Moycullen, Mullagh, New Inn, Renmore, Rosscahill, and Tullycross. All the Galway members were invited to attend the launch of the centenary celebration in the Salthill Hotel last Friday.
“The launch is a great coming together of all the guilds in Galway. The guilds are spread all over the county and there are in excess of 400 members,” said Carmel Garrett, who at 60 is a third time president of the county federation and a founding member of the Knocknacarra guild.
Speaking to the Advertiser ahead of the launch Carmel spoke of her immense pride of being part of such an incredible, welcoming, and influential organisation. Carmel explained that the ICA is involved in so many things in society which have gone largely unsung.
“The members do so much, not just for themselves, but for their communities in general. The beauty of the ICA is that it’s not just a local club or guild, it’s part of a country wide organisation. The Knocknacarra guild was formed in 1995 so it’s now 15 years old, but it’s only a junior guild compared to others. Tullycross will be celebrating its 60th this year. The oldest guild in Galway was formed in 1947, that was in Cleggan. Galway is steeped in ICA history.”
Carmel went onto explain that the ICA women have had their fingers in every pie, doing what they can to influence decision makers, and working towards the betterment of their communities. It first started under the name of the Society of United Irishwomen (UI ) but the name changed in 1935 to avoid being associated with the United Ireland Party.
“The spread from east to the rest of the country was slow, the real proliferation of the organisation was from the 1940s onwards. Even in the 1980s a lot of the guilds were quite rural. Twenty years ago 75 per cent of the country’s gross income was from agriculture. For women, that was their main background.
“The ICA were very involved in getting electricity and water infrastructure into rural areas. They really pushed for that. They were involved with every community issue. Education was the biggest thing for women over the last 40 years, particularly over the last 100 years. Until there was free education in the 1960s very few women went on to do the Leaving Cert. When it started in 1910 the ICA were only starting to see a change in education in Europe and the woman that founded it wanted to pass on opportunities to other women, from all backgrounds. The ICA Adult Eduation College in Louth has since the 1950s educated so many of its members.”
Today, the ICA is still making a difference. In the last two years the ICA has been heavily involved in calling for the roll out of breast checks. Another way the ICA has helped women today is playing the role of a social networking association.
“As I look back that’s one of the greatest things we have done. In rural society where there may be inadequate communications or transport isolation still sadly remains. The ICA is about looking after women’s mental health and empowering them. It prevents isolation which is sadly a feature of modern life.”
Carmel, who is a widow and the mother of six grown up children, has lived virtually all her life in Knocknacarra. She said that some years ago there was a serious lack of organisation in her local area so in 1995 she, along with other like-minded women, founded the Knocknacarra guild which today has more than 20 members.
“I love my guild. We got the local sports groups a grass field and we do huge things for charity. The guild is like another family, it’s great support. It would be great to set up a centennary guild in county Galway to carry on the ICA tradition for another 100 years.”
