Helena Concannon

Helena Concannon
Senator
In office 1938–1952
Constituency	National University of Ireland
Teachta Dála
In office 1933–1937
Constituency	National University of Ireland
Personal details
Born	Helena Walsh 28 October 1878 Maghera, County Londonderry, Ireland
Died	27 February 1952(1952-02-27) (aged 73)
Nationality	Irish
Political party	Fianna Fáil
Spouse(s)	Tomás Bán Ó Conceanainn
Alma mater	Royal University of Ireland National University of Ireland
Profession	Historian, writer, language scholar

Helena Concannon (née Walsh; 28 October 1878 – 27 February 1952) was an Irish historian, writer, language scholar and Fianna Fáil politician.

Born in Maghera,^[1] County Londonderry, she attended secondary school in Dublin in Loreto North Great Georges Street and Loreto Stephen's Green. She attended university at the Royal University of Ireland in Belfast and then the National University of Ireland. She also studied abroad at the Sorbonne University Paris, Berlin University and in Rome.^[2] She was Professor of History at University College Galway. In her youth Helena, as well as her husband, was a member of "The Irish Fireside Club", which in the 1880s was the largest children's association in Ireland where children took responsibility upon themselves to teach others and themselves to make Ireland a better place.^[3]

Many of her writings were on the subject of Irish women, including Canon Sheehan's Woman Characters (1910), Women of Ninety Eight (1919), Daughters of Banba (1922), The Poor Clares in Ireland (1929), and Irish nuns in penal days (1931).^[4]

She was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála (TD) at the 1933 general election for the National University of Ireland constituency.^[5] At the 1938 general election, she was elected to Seanad Éireann for the National University of Ireland constituency. She was re-elected at each successive election and served in the Seanad until her death in 1952.^[6]

Her husband was the Irish scholar Tomás Bán Ó Conceanainn (Thomas Concannon), a national health inspector, and she authored several books as "Mrs Thomas Concannon".^[4][7]

University Life and Life as Professor

Helena Concannon was an excellent student being educated by the Loreto nuns in Coleraine. In 1897, Helena Concannon studied modern languages at the Royal University of Ireland on a three-year scholarship. She studied abroad during these years as in 1899, she travelled to Germany and studied German in Berlin University accompanied by her friend, Mary Macken. Concannon then travelled to France to study French in Sorbonne. In 1900, Concannon graduated Bachelor of Arts with first class honours and went on to study Master of Arts in 1902 at the Royal University of Ireland. Concannon was fortunate to being one of the first generation of educated women.^[8]

In 1906, Concannon married Thomas Concannon who she met in 1900, when he arrived home from America. They settled down in Co.Galway where they shared the same love for the Irish Language and wrote many Irish texts. In Galway, Concannon was a professor at the University of Galway where she taught history, which mainly involved the history of Irish Women. In 1909, Concannon was offered a lectureship at University of College Dublin, in Italian, but the offer was then drawn before she could accept, so she decided to pursue the writing career.^[8]

Writing career

In 1909 she was offered a lecturer position at University College Dublin and after the offer was withdrawn she began her writing career.^[8] She produced over twenty books and published a number of works on religion, history of Ireland and Irish women's history. Her works were highly impacted by her political and nationalist views. Helena's 'analyses of Irish history was based on Catholicism and patriotism'.^[8][9] She was also an advocate of Irish language restoration.^[8]

Her first writings were love poems to her husband Thomas Concannon. These poems were 'simple, sensuous and passionate'.^[10]

She also produced a number of imaginative historical text for children. She used her married name for her publications and her first book was published in 1914 titled as A Garden of girls, or the famous schoolgirls of former days, it was about 'school life and education of real little girls'.^[11] Her next well known piece was the Life of st. Columban in 1915, which was a study about the Irish ancient monastic life and a biography of a sixth-century.^[12]

Two of her books, Daughters of Banba (1922) and St. Patrick (1932), received the Tailteann Medal for Literature, and The Poor Clares in Ireland (1929) won the National University Prize a DLitt higher doctorate degree for historical research.^[13][14]

Her most common publication the Women of Ninety Eight was dedicated to all the dead women and all the living ones who have given their loved ones. This book emerged on the ideologies of Catholicism and patriotism "praising the devotion of Irish nationalist women while emphasising the centrality of women's spiritual and domestic role in the home to the well-being of the nation"^[15] As this work was written during the time of War of Independence, Helena Concannon stressed the importance of women help during the rebellion as "they acted as messengers and intelligence officers", and in some cases, they fought as any men.^[16]

Life in the Dáil

Helena Concannon started her political career in the Dáil, she was in the Dáil from 8 February 1933, after the 1933 general election, until 14 June 1937. She was as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála (TD) for the National University of Ireland constituency. She was a part of the 8th Dáil, in which Fianna Fail leader Eamonn DeValera took the presidency of the executive council from W.T Cosgrave, making him the second President of the Executive Council of Ireland. Her constituency 'National University of Ireland' also had two other TDs representing in the same Dáil, Mr Conor Alexander Maguire, a fellow Fianna Fail member and Mr. Patrick McGilligan who was part of the Fine Gael party. Her session of the Dáil had 153 seats.

Concannon, in 1933, voted 'Yes' along with 81 others for Eamonn De Valera to the President of the Executive Council.^[17][18]

In 1935, she voted for 'The Control of Imports Orders' Quota 2 and Quota 3 along with 65 other TDs in the first and 60 others in the latter. She voted yes with the majority on every issue posed on 13 February 1935^[19]

She voted 'No' to for the Dáil to condemn the Executive Council for 'its neglect to secure a quota for the export of cattle to Great Britain adequate to the needs of our agricultural industry.'—(Patrick Hogan, Richard Curran.)on the issue of Exporting cattle to England, with the majority.^[20]

She voted 'No' to for the Dáil to condemn the Executive Council for 'its neglect to secure a quota for the export of cattle to Great Britain adequate to the needs of our agricultural industry.'—(Patrick Hogan, Richard Curran.)on the issue of Exporting cattle to England, with the majority.^[20]

Concerning the 'Land Purchase (Guarantee Fund) Bill, 1935' which according to Mr. Bennet would have negatively impacted the rural middle class of which he was a representative, Bennet accuses Concannon and her fellow Dublin men of not caring about the people of the country "If Deputy Kelly, Deputy Donnelly or Deputy Mrs. Concannon were asked to apply a retrospective liability of this character to the citizens of Dublin, would they comply with the request? They know they would not. Because this Bill affects, in the main, the hardworking agriculturists, Deputy Kelly, Deputy Mrs. Concannon and other City Deputies can view it with equanimity."-Bennet Concannon went on to vote that the Dail should disagree with the Seanad propose bill with 71 others^[21]

Though, she was a TD in the Dail as a University representative, she voted to annexe University representation in the Dail, in following with her parties views. Leading to one TD saying " I am very much surprised to see such a distinguished scholar and such a great contributor to Irish literature as Deputy Mrs. Concannon voting for the disfranchisement of the University that she has so well and so ably represented. "-Mr. J.M. Burke^[22]

Concannon stays silent through the duration of this debate causing one TD to voice how he has yet to hear her speak "About Deputy Mrs. Concannon I can say less, because I have not had the pleasure of hearing her speak." He then goes on to accuse her of party politics" I have noticed, however, that she votes with commendable—I do not know whether I should say commendable—but at any rate with complete regularity in the Lobby of her particular Party, and that she never strays into the other Lobby by chance or accident. It seems to me that even if a University representative is a member of a Party he should have that extra little amount of detachment that would guide him sometimes into the opposite Lobby from his Party, because no Party can be always right." Mr. MacDermot^[23]

She did not respond that day, but the next day when discussions on the subject began again, she opened the talks. Sticking with her party's view that University constituents shouldn't be separated from other constituents giving the figure that out of 2000 student voters who voted for her only one wrote in to say university representation should continue and that she read that to her party but as it was only one who wanted this, she was representing her university constituents by voting the university TDs should be abolished. She voted this way and won. Although the Chair of the Dail said after the vote had been won by Concannon's side "I am certifying the Constitution (Amendment No. 23) Bill, 1934, under Article 38A of the Constitution, as containing only such modification as is necessary owing to the time which has elapsed since that Bill was first sent by the Dáil to the Seanad."^[24]

Later on when the amendment seemed not to be taking place Concannon placed a question asking about whether moves have been made to begin the process to which W.T. Cosgrave responded that Concannon had been forced to ask the question "The Minister wants to introduce legislation to deal with this, but he has not got the legislation yet. He hopes that, by the time the legislation is introduced, this thing will be all right. The Minister knows well that this is a nice mess that he has got us into. He had to get Deputy Mrs. Concannon, a University representative, to ask a question about it so as to try and make the case that he knows something about it. Is not that the whole sum and substance of it?"^[25]

Concannon spoke on behalf of Irish women in the Dáil in 1936. She spoke on how Irish women a fundamental role in Ireland's agricultural economy and so more money should be put towards educating these women.^[26]

Concannon didn't object to Bunreacht na hEireann the constitution put forward by her party man De Valera, although many women at the time did.

She did not contest the Dáil election of 1937

Life in the Seanad

Helena Concannon was elected in the 1938 general election to the Seanad Eireann for the National University of Ireland constituency. She was a popular figure and was re-elected by voters each election in the Seanad until she died in 1952. Concannon was one of the minority voices against the part appointed to women De Valera's constitution. Helena was a member of the Seaned for 8 years.^[27][28]

Helena's very first year in the Seanad was in 1938. She was a member for a year and then was re-elected by popular vote in the next general election. She spent the next five years of her life (1938-1943) in the 3rd Seanad with the party Fianna Fáil. In 1944 she was voted back in again until 1948, and so on until her death in February 1952.

Helena Cocannon was not the only senator elected for the National University of Ireland. She was elected alongside Dr. Henry Leo Barniville and Professor Micheal Tierney. Helena wanted Senator Sean Goulding to by the cathaoirlech of the Seanad. She was the first person to talk about nominating Senator Sean Goulding and after she did he won a place in the Seanad. She mentions that he was patient and helpful with everyone, and they all had to step in and help.^[29][30]

Leinsterhouse

List of Publications

• A Garden of Girls, or the Famous Schoolgirls of Former Days (London: Longmans, Green & Co. 1914).
• The Life of St. Columban (St. Columbanus of Bobbio): A Study of Ancient Irish Monastic Life (Dublin: Catholic Truth Society of Ireland, 1915).
• Women of ‘Ninety Eight. (Dublin: M. H. Gill, 1919).^[31]
• Daughters of Banba. (Dublin: M. H. Gill, 1922).
• The Poor Clares in Ireland. (A.D. 1629 – A.D. 1929), (Dublin: M.H. Gill, 1929).
• St. Patric. His life and mission by Mrs Thomas Concannon (1932).^[32]
• Irish Nuns in Penal Days. (London: Sands & Co., 1931).
• Poems. (Dublin: M. H. Gill, 1953).
• Blessed Oliver Plunkett: Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of all Ireland','by Mrs. Thomas Concannon, with appendix by Robert C. Simington.(Dublin: Browne & Nolan, 1935).
• The Queen of Ireland: An Historical Account of Ireland's Devotion to the Blessed Virgin (Dublin: M.H. Gill, 1938).^[33]

References

Sources

• Dictionary of Nineteenth-century Irish Women Poets, pp. 233, Anne Ulry Colman, Kenny's Bookshop, Galway, 1996. ISBN 0-906312-44-2.