The Minister for Transport, Seamus Brennan, unveiled a memorial to Countess Constance Markievicz in Rathcormac, County Sligo this afternoon.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Brennan described Countess Markievicz as a remarkable woman. He said she was a committed revolutionary and 'one of the outstanding social and historical figures in our history.'
The Minister said that her contribution 'to the moulding of the emerging State was considerable'. He added that she was recognised today as a symbol of unity and tolerance that transcended party allegiances.
Countess Markievicz (1868- 1927) fought in the 1916 Rising and was the first woman to be elected to a British Parliament. She was also the first female Cabinet Minister in Europe.
The Markievicz Memorial is located a few miles from her family home - Lissadell. She gave her first public speech in nearby Drumcliff.
The sculpture by John Coll depicts a bronze figure on a stone plinth with stainless steel gates.
Countess Markievicz, who was married to a Polish Count, campaigned for womens' rights and ran soup kitchens during the 1913 lock-out. After the 1916 rising she was sentenced to be shot but instead spent years in prison. After her release, she was elected to the British Parliament.
She later became Minister for Labour in the Irish government. The last years of her life were spent helping Dublin's destitute. She died in 1927 in a public ward amongst the poor she had campaigned and cared for.
