Catherine Mahon

Catherine Mahon (1869–1948), first women president of the Irish National Teachers' Organisation Early life and teaching career Catherine Mahon was born in Laccah, County Tipperary on 15 May 1869 to thirty seven year old labourer James Mahon and his nineteen year old shopkeeping wife Winifred Mahon (née O'Meara). She was the eldest of seven children. Her education was at Carrig national school before going to secondary school with the Sisters of Mercy in Birr where she then worked as a monitor from October 1884. At the time this was a way to gain a teacher qualification. She completed her training by correspondence and sat the final examination in 1890. She taught for a short time in Tulla Convent in County Clare. Most of her teaching life was spent in Tipperary – at Nenagh convent and as principal of Glenculloo. Mahon was principal from September 1891 to April 1892 in a small school with thirty pupils in Glenculloo before moving on to be principal of Carrig national school. Irish National Teachers Organisation Mahon was a member of both the Gaelic League and the Irish Women's Franchise League. While she was a non militant member she expressed support in The Irish Citizen. In 1906 Mahon began her involvement with the teachers trade union and joined the Birr Association and made a speech about equal pay at the Irish National Teachers Organisation annual congress. She then pointed out the lack of women on the INTO executive. Arguing the point she put herself forward for consideration for the position of Vice-President of the association in March 1907 and, although she wasn't elected, the question was so public that the INTO created new positions on the executive for women and offered one to Mahon. In the first years of her involvement Mahon was successful in a number of her goals, she increased recruitment and prevented women teachers being forced to cover Laundry and Cookery as subjects. When the Birrell grant was adopted in the summer of 1908 Mahon pointed out that the principal of equal pay had been established, as the grant was distributed to all teachers. Thus she claimed the precedent was made.