Kathleen O'Callaghan

Who was Kathleen O'Callaghan?

Professor Kathleen O'Callaghan was an Irish Sinn Féin politician and academic. Educated at the Royal University of Ireland and Cambridge, before entering politics she was a member of Cumann na mBan. She was the widow of Michael O'Callaghan, Mayor of Limerick and an IRA officer, who was killed in her presence by British forces in 1921.

She was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Sinn Féin Teachta Dála at the 1921 elections for the Limerick City–Limerick East constituency. She voted against the Anglo-Irish Treaty and sided with Éamon de Valera. She was re-elected at the 1922 general election, this time as an Anti-Treaty Sinn Féin TD. In accordance with Sinn Féin abstentionist policy of the time, she did not take her seat in the 3rd Dáil. She lost her seat at the 1923 general election.