Women Medics - Pair of National Stamps

Women Medics - International Womens Day

Before the reform of the Medical Act in 1876, Irish women could not qualify to work as medics. In 1877, the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland became the first institution in Britain and Ireland to let women take licensing exams. In 1885, the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland followed them.

For many years, women medics in Ireland faced significant challenges, including rampant discrimination and limited opportunities to progress. Despite this, women medics in Ireland made enormous contributions to medicine and, gradually, their working environment improved. In Ireland today, about 40% of doctors are women.

In 2026, An Post honours some of the great women medics of Ireland. They are:

Doctor Emily Winifred Dickson (1866 -1944), who in 1893 became first female Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.

Doctor Kathleen Lynn (1874-1955) who together with Madeleine Ffrench-Mullen, co-founded St. Ultan’s Infant Hospital in 1919. Having faced considerable discrimination herself, Lynn ensured that all the managers at the hospital were women. Among other things, St Ultan’s was the first hospital in Ireland and Britain to provide the BCG vaccination.

Professor Rhona Mahony, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, who from 2012-2018 served as the first woman Master of the National Maternity Hospital, an incredibly significant milestone in Irish obstetrical history.

Professor Janice Walshe, Consultant Medical Oncologist and National Principal Investigator for major international trials in breast cancer. Her work has led to new, innovative trials for patients, and to research opportunities to many professionals working in this area.

With a colour scheme suggesting surgical scrubs, and timeless black-and-white photography, our pioneering medics appear alongside images suggesting their specialties.
 

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