President McAleese Celebrates a Century of Women in Trinity College Dublin

Posted on: 03 March 2004

Mary McAleese today, Wednesday March 3rd, launched the celebrations marking the admission of women students to Trinity College Dublin one hundred years ago.

This landmark decision by the Board of Trinity to admit women students set in motion the development of co-education in Ireland . Currently women form the majority in higher education and represent 60% of the 15, 000 student population in Trinity.

“Today we owe a debt of gratitude to the pioneering women of the 19th and 20th century, for leading the way in women’s education in Ireland ,” stated Prof. Jane Grimson, Vice-Provost of Trinity College. “Through their achievements Irish women now successfully contribute to society, bringing commitment and expertise to all areas including medicine, science, justice, economics, education and literature.”

To celebrate the Centenary, Trinity has scheduled events to take place throughout the coming year. These include the launch of the book “A Danger to the Men?: A History of Women in Trinity College , Dublin 1904-2004″, a photographic exhibition tracing the history of women in Trinity, a societies debate, and an outdoor drama performance day.

“The Centenary gives us the opportunity to celebrate the achievements of our women graduates in past generations, the success of our present graduates in diverse and dynamic roles in society today, and to look to the next hundred years as the women of Trinity help shape the future of Ireland , Europe and World affairs,” said Prof. Grimson. “The success of Trinity’s women will continue through those graduates yet to come, whose future is bright with unlimited potential.”