Constance Markievicz tea towel

£14.00
100% Organic Cotton
Made in the UK
(2 reviews) Write a Review
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  • Sturdy half panama unbleached US cotton (48cm x 70cm)
  • Our special inks mean that colours last in the wash
  • Includes hanging loop
  • Designed and manufactured in the UK
  • Delivery with Royal Mail, free on orders over £35
  • 100-day money back guarantee if you change your mind

Aristocrat, abstentionist, anti-imperialist, suffragette, socialist, and Irish revolutionary… Thus has been described Constance Markievicz, the countess who rebelled. At aged 48, Markievicz took part in the Easter Rising in Dublin, 1916, when Irish Republicans attempted to end British rule and establish an Irish Republic. After shooting a Dublin Metropolitan Police officer dead on the first day of fighting, she was imprisoned in London’s Holloway prison.

Remarkably, she fought the 1918 election for the constituency of Dublin St Patrick's from her prison cell, combining her suffragist ideals with her anti-imperialism. Even more remarkable, she won, making her the first woman to be elected to parliament. However, she never took up her seat. Markievicz – along with 72 other Sinn Féin MPs – refused to acknowledge the authority of the British government, and instead helped Sinn Féin set up their own parliament in Dublin in 1919 ­(the ‘Revolutionary Dáil’) where Markievicz was appointed Minister for Labour. 

She soon became an icon for the women of the rebellion, telling them to ‘dress suitably in short skirts and strong boots, leave your jewels in the bank, and buy a revolver.’ She never slowed down either: in her final years she became an avid motorist and accomplished mechanic. She died in 1927, still politically active. By then, she had given away the last of her wealth, and died in a public ward among the working classes she had fought for all her life. 

Half Panama unbleached cotton (heavy weight, textured finish). Stitched on all four sides. Includes hanging loop. Measures approximately 48cm x 70cm. Machine wash at 40 degrees max. We recommend that before you use your tea towel for the first time you wash it at least once to soften up the material and make it more absorbent for drying dishes. Please note size can vary slightly.

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  • 5
    CONSTANCE MARKIEVICZ TEA TOWEL

    Posted by Catherine Foley on 19th Feb 2024

    Love this tea towel, it depicts one of my heroines. Excellent quality fabric, it does its job very well. I love all Radical Tea Towel products, have bought many of their calendars over the years.

  • 5
    It came as described

    Posted by John Lynch on 18th Dec 2021

    Wonderful piece