Jane Dowdall

Jane Dowdall was a pioneering figure in Irish politics and a strong advocate for the arts, serving as the first woman lord mayor of Cork in 1959. She was also a Fianna Fáil senator and a close associate of Éamon de Valera. Before her political career, Dowdall was a nurse and anthropologist, and she played a crucial role in securing funding for the Cork Opera House while being actively involved with the Irish Country Women’s Association and the Society of St Vincent de Paul.