- Ellen Cuffe, Countess of Desart
-
Ellen Odette Cuffe, Countess of Desart, née Bischoffsheim (1 September 1857 – 29 June 1933) was an Irish politician and company director. She married William Cuffe(1845–1898), the 4th Earl of Desart in 1881.[1] She was the daughter of Henri Louis Bischoffsheim, a wealthy Jewish banker of German origin.[2]
Lady Desart was interested in the Gaelic revival of the time, and became a member of the Gaelic League and was elected its president succeeding her brother-in-law, Capt. Otway Cuffe who was mayor of Kilkenny. Lady Desart She commissioned the village of Talbot's Inch to be built by the architect William Alphonsus Scott.[3] In relation to her support of the Irish Language Lady Desart reminded the people that her own people, the Jews, had in their new Palestine colony revived a forgotten language and used it to re-unite the scattered remnants of their nation.[4]
She was appointed to the Irish Free State Seanad Éireann as an independent member in December 1922 by the President of the Executive Council.[5] She was one of four women elected or appointed to the first Seanad in 1922.[6] She was the first Jew to serve as a Senator in Ireland.[2] She was appointed for 12 years in 1922 and served until her death in 1933.
References
- ^ "Ellen Odette Bischoffsheim". thePeerage.com. http://www.thepeerage.com/p8288.htm#i82879. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
- ^ a b "The Cuffe Family, Earls of Desart 1583 - 1933". Turtle Bunbury. http://www.turtlebunbury.com/history/history_family/hist_family_cuffe.htm#4thearl. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
- ^ Kilkenny City & Environs - Talbotsinch
- ^ Century of Endeavour - Hubert Butler on Standish O'Grady Dr Roy Johnston 1999
- ^ "Countess of Desart". Oireachtas Members Database. http://www.oireachtas.ie/members-hist/default.asp?housetype=1&HouseNum=1922&MemberID=1260&ConstID=214. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
- ^ The other women were Alice Stopford Green, Eileen Costello and Jennie Wyse Power
« 1928 Seanad « Members of the 1931 Seanad Éireann (1931–1934) » 1934 Seanad » Elected in 1931 3 yearsKathleen Browne (CnaG) • Eileen Costello (Ind)6 yearsWilliam O'Sullivan (Ind)9 yearsMichael Comyn (??) • John Counihan (CnaG) • James Douglas (Ind) • Michael Duffy (Lab) • Thomas Farren (Lab) • Hugh Garahan (FP) • Sir John Griffith (Ind) • Seán MacEllin (??) • Ross McGillycuddy (??) • James J. MacKean (Ind) • John MacLoughlin (Ind) • Daniel MacParland (??) • Maurice George Moore (Ind) • Laurence O'Neill (Ind) • Brian O'Rourke (Ind) • William Quirke (??) • David Robinson (FF) • Seamus Ryan (??) • Michael Staines (CnaG) • Arthur Vincent (??)
Elected in 1928 6 yearsJohn Philip Bagwell (Ind) • Alfred Byrne (Ind) • Oliver St. John Gogarty (??) • Andrew Jameson (Ind) • Thomas Johnson (Lab) • Richard Wilson (FP)9 yearsKathleen Clarke (FF) • Joseph Connolly (FF) • Seán Milroy (CnaG) • Joseph O'Doherty (FF) • Séamus Robinson (FF)Elected in 1925 9 years12 yearsHenry Barniville (Ind) • Sir Edward Bellingham (??) • William Cummins (Lab) • James Dillon (FP) • Michael Fanning (??) • Thomas Foran (Lab) • Sir William Bernard Hickie (??) • Cornelius Kennedy (CnaG) • Thomas Linehan (FP) • Joseph O'Connor (CnaG) • John O'Farrell (Lab) • Michael F. O'Hanlon (FP) • James Parkinson (CnaG) • Thomas Toal (CnaG)Elected in 1922 12 yearsHenry Guinness (Ind)Nominated by the President in 1922 12 yearsEllen Cuffe (Ind) • James Charles Dowdall (Ind) • Sir Thomas Esmonde (Ind) • Bernard Forbes (??) • Sir John Keane (Ind) • James Moran (??) • Jennie Wyse Power (Ind)Elected at by-elections Feb. 1926 Samuel Lombard Brown (Ind) • Jan. 1932 George Crosbie (CnaG) • Apr. 1933 Eamonn Duggan (CnaG) • Jan. 1934 Ernest Blythe (CnaG) • Raphael Keyes (FF) • Sep. 1934 Patrick Lynch (FF)CnaG: Cumann na nGaedheal • FF: Fianna Fáil • FP: Farmers' Party • Lab: Labour Party • Ind: Independent • ??: Unknown party« 1925 Seanad « Members of the 1928 Seanad Éireann (1928–1931) » 1931 Seanad » Elected in 1928 3 yearsMichael Comyn (??) • Seán MacEllin (??) • Ross McGillycuddy (??) • Sir Walter Nugent (??)6 yearsJohn Philip Bagwell (Ind) • Alfred Byrne (Ind) • Oliver St. John Gogarty (??) • Andrew Jameson (Ind) • Thomas Johnson (Lab) • Sir Bryan Mahon (??) • Richard Wilson (FP)9 yearsKathleen Clarke (FF) • Joseph Connolly (FF) • Seán Milroy (CnaG) • Joseph O'Doherty (FF) • Séamus Robinson (FF) • William Sears (CnaG)Elected in 1925 6 yearsJohn Counihan (CnaG)9 years12 yearsHenry Barniville (Ind) • Sir Edward Bellingham (??) • William Cummins (Lab) • James Dillon (FP) • Michael Fanning (??) • Thomas Foran (Lab) • Sir William Bernard Hickie (??) • Cornelius Kennedy (CnaG) • Thomas Linehan (FP) • Joseph O'Connor (CnaG) • John O'Farrell (Lab) • Michael F. O'Hanlon (FP) • James Parkinson (CnaG) • Thomas Toal (CnaG)Elected in 1922 9 yearsWilliam Barrington (Ind) • Eileen Costello (Ind) • James Douglas (Ind) • Michael Duffy (Lab) • Thomas Farren (Lab) • Alice Stopford Green (Ind) • Sir John Griffith (Ind) • Patrick W. Kenny (Ind) • James J. MacKean (Ind) • John MacLoughlin (Ind) • William Molloy (Ind) • Maurice George Moore (Ind) • Brian O'Rourke (Ind) • William O'Sullivan (Ind)12 yearsHenry Guinness (Ind)Nominated by the President in 1922 12 yearsEllen Cuffe (Ind) • James Charles Dowdall (Ind) • Sir Thomas Esmonde (Ind) • Bernard Forbes (??) • Sir John Keane (Ind) • James Moran (??) • Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice (??) • Jennie Wyse Power (Ind)Elected at by-elections Feb. 1926 Samuel Lombard Brown (Ind) • Mar. 1927 Patrick Hooper (??) • Apr. 1929 Sir Nugent Everard (Ind) • Jun. 1929 Kathleen Browne (CnaG) • Laurence O'Neill (Ind) • Oct. 1929 Richard A. Butler (FP) • Dec. 1930 Michael Staines (CnaG) • May 1931 Arthur Vincent (??) • Nov. 1931 George Crosbie (CnaG)CnaG: Cumann na nGaedheal • FF: Fianna Fáil • FP: Farmers' Party • Lab: Labour Party • Ind: Independent • ??: Unknown party« 1922 Seanad « Members of the 1925 Seanad Éireann (1925–1928) » 1928 Seanad » Elected in 1925 6 yearsJohn Counihan (CnaG)9 years12 yearsHenry Barniville (Ind) • Sir Edward Bellingham (??) • William Cummins (Lab) • James Dillon (FP) • Michael Fanning (??) • Thomas Foran (Lab) • Sir William Bernard Hickie (??) • Cornelius Kennedy (CnaG) • Thomas Linehan (FP) • Joseph O'Connor (CnaG) • John O'Farrell (Lab) • Michael F. O'Hanlon (FP) • Stephen O'Mara (CnaG) • James Parkinson (CnaG) • Thomas Toal (CnaG)Elected in 1922 6 years9 yearsWilliam Barrington (Ind) • Eileen Costello (Ind) • James Douglas (Ind) • Michael Duffy (Lab) • Thomas Farren (Lab) • Alice Stopford Green (Ind) • Sir John Griffith (Ind) • Patrick W. Kenny (Ind) • James J. MacKean (Ind) • John MacLoughlin (Ind) • William Molloy (Ind) • Maurice George Moore (Ind) • Brian O'Rourke (Ind) • William O'Sullivan (Ind)12 yearsMartin Fitzgerald (??) • Henry Guinness (Ind)Nominated by the President in 1922 6 yearsJohn Philip Bagwell (Ind) • Lord Glenavy (Ind) • Sir Nugent Everard (Ind) • Edmund W. Eyre (Ind) • Oliver St. John Gogarty (??) • James Perry Goodbody (??) • Ralph Howard (??) • Arthur Jackson (??) • Andrew Jameson (Ind) • Sir Bryan Mahon (??) • Geoffrey Taylour (??) • William Butler Yeats (Ind)12 yearsDermot Bourke (??) • Ellen Cuffe (Ind) • James Charles Dowdall (Ind) • Sir Thomas Esmonde (Ind) • Bernard Forbes (??) • Sir John Keane (Ind) • James Moran (??) • Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice (??) • Windham Wyndham-Quin (Ind) • Jennie Wyse Power (Ind)Elected or appointed later Feb. 1926 Samuel Lombard Brown (Ind) • Jan. 1927 P. J. Brady (??) • Mar. 1927 Patrick Hooper (??) • Mar. 1928 Sir Walter Nugent (??)CnaG: Cumann na nGaedheal • FP: Farmers' Party • Lab: Labour Party • Ind: Independent • ??: Unknown partyMembers of the 1922 Seanad Éireann (1922–1925) » 1925 Seanad » Elected in 1922 3 yearsHenry Barniville (Ind) • Thomas Westropp Bennett (CnaG) • Richard A. Butler (Ind) • John Counihan (Ind) • Peter de Loughry (CnaG) • Cornelius Irwin (CnaG) • Thomas Linehan (FP) • Joseph Clayton Love (CnaG) • Edward MacEvoy (CnaG) • Edward MacLysaght (Ind) • Eamonn Mansfield (Ind) • George Nesbitt (CnaG) • Michael O'Dea (CnaG) • John O'Farrell (Lab) • James Parkinson (CnaG)6 years9 yearsWilliam Barrington (Ind) • Eileen Costello (Ind) • James Douglas (Ind) • Michael Duffy (Lab) • Thomas Farren (Lab) • Alice Stopford Green (Ind) • Sir John Griffith (Ind) • Patrick W. Kenny (Ind) • James J. MacKean (Ind) • John MacLoughlin (Ind) • Thomas MacPartlin (Lab) • William Molloy (Ind) • Maurice George Moore (Ind) • Brian O'Rourke (Ind) • William O'Sullivan (Ind)12 yearsMartin Fitzgerald (??) • Henry Guinness (Ind)Nominated by the President 6 yearsJohn Philip Bagwell (Ind) • Lord Glenavy (Ind) • Sir Nugent Everard (Ind) • Edmund W. Eyre (Ind) • Oliver St. John Gogarty (??) • James Perry Goodbody (??) • Ralph Howard (??) • Arthur Jackson (??) • Andrew Jameson (Ind) • Sir Bryan Mahon (??) • Geoffrey Taylour (??) • William Butler Yeats (Ind)12 yearsDermot Bourke (??) • Ellen Cuffe (Ind) • James Charles Dowdall (Ind) • Sir Thomas Esmonde (Ind) • Bernard Forbes (??) • Sir John Keane (Ind) • James Moran (??) • Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice (??) • Sir Horace Plunkett (??) • Sir William Hutcheson Poë (??) • George Sigerson (??) • Windham Wyndham-Quin (Ind) • Jennie Wyse Power (Ind)Elected or appointed later Feb. 1923 William Cummins (Lab) • Nov. 1923 Thomas Foran (Lab) • Dec. 1923 Samuel Lombard Brown (Ind) • 1925 Douglas Hyde (Ind) • John O'Neill (CnaG)CnaG: Cumann na nGaedheal • FP: Farmers' Party • Lab: Labour Party • Ind: Independent • ??: Unknown partyCategories:- 1857 births
- 1933 deaths
- Independent politicians in Ireland
- Members of the 1922 Seanad
- Members of the 1925 Seanad
- Members of the 1928 Seanad
- Members of the 1931 Seanad
- Female members of Seanad Éireann
- Irish Jews
- Jewish politicians
- Politicians from County Kilkenny
- Irish politician stubs
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