Bridget Redmond

Bridget Mary Redmond (; 30 October 1904 – 3 May 1952) was an Irish Cumann na nGaedheal and Fine Gael politician, as well as a member of Eoin O'Duffy's radical Blueshirts paramilitary. Thrust into politics by the sudden death of her husband in 1932, Redmond would go on to have a twenty-year career in Irish politics during a period in which it was extremely rare for women to hold public office. Early life Bridget Mary Mallick was born to John Mallick, landowner, hotelier, and racehorse owner, and Bridget Mallick (née Sex), both of the Curragh in County Kildare. Growing up, she studied at an Ursuline school in Waterford City between 1916 and 1922, where she earned the nickname "Tiny" due to her small statue. The nickname would stick with her the rest of life, with family, friends and supporters all using the moniker. A talented singer and sportswoman, she lived the typical life of the daughter of wealthy landowners until her marriage to Captain William Redmond on 18 November 1930. The only son of one of the most well-known politicians in Ireland in that era, John Redmond, William was introduced to Bridget by mutual friends. Despite an eighteen-year age gap between the two, she was reportedly devoted to William. William, who had served with the British Army during World War I, successfully followed his recently deceased father into politics immediately afterwards. She would always accompany William during his elections and his constituency work, unknowingly acquiring knowledge she'd soon need. Political career Less than two years into their marriage, William died suddenly on 17 April 1932. When William entered politics, his supporters (particularly in Waterford City), looked to him to carry forward the legacy of his father. William had largely succeeded in this, for example in the 1918 Irish general election William was one of only two candidates for the Irish Parliamentary Party to win a seat in the south of Ireland amidst the tidal wave surge of Sinn Féin. From the Redmondite base in Waterford City, William kept the thread of the Irish Parliamentary Party alive via the National League Party during the 1920s. However, that party was disbanded in the late 1920s and from there, William joined Cumann na nGaedheal in 1931.