Members of the Second Dáil - Margaret Pearse

Hannah Sheehy-Skeffington and Margaret Pearse, who were active in political debate around both the Treaty and the rights of women to vote and hold office.

Margaret Pearse (née Brady; 1857 – 1 January 1932) was an Irish politician. She was born in County Meath and moved to Dublin, and in 1877 married James Pearse (his second marriage), a Dubliner who was originally from Birmingham. She was the mother of Patrick Pearse, one of the leaders of the Easter Rising in 1916, who was executed soon after the rising. Another son Willie Pearse was also executed after the 1916 Easter Rising.

She joined Sinn Féin after the Rising and gave support and endorsement to candidates during the 1918 Westminster election. She was elected to Dáil Éireann as a Sinn Féin Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin County constituency at the 1921 elections.

She strongly opposed the Anglo-Irish Treaty, as did all the female TDs. She stated during the Treaty debate that:

"I rise to support the motion of our President for the rejection of the Treaty.
My reasons for doing so are various, but my first reason for doing so I would
like to explain here today is my son's account. It has been said here on several
occasions that Patrick Pearse would have accepted this Treaty. I deny it. As his mother I deny it, and on his account I will not accept it.'"

Later she continued in a similar vein:

"Always we had to be on the alert. But even the Black and Tans alone would not
frighten me as much as if I accepted this Treaty; because I feel in my heart -
and I would not say it only I feel it - that the ghosts of my sons would haunt
me."

Following the ratification of the Treaty, she left the Dáil with the other anti-Treaty deputies. She was defeated at the 1922 general election. She supported those who opposed the Treaty during the Irish Civil War and continued to be a member of Sinn Féin until 1926. In 1926 she left the party conference with Éamon de Valera and became a founder member of Fianna Fáil. She never stood for election again.

At the launch of The Irish Press newspaper she was asked to press the button to start the printers rolling. At many public occasions she stated that were her sons alive they too would have joined Fianna Fáil. Accordingly Patrick Pearse is recognised as the spiritual figurehead of the party to this day.

Margaret Pearse died in 1932. Her daughter, Margaret Mary Pearse, also joined Fianna Fáil, and served as a TD in the 1930s and later as a Senator.