Catherine Mahon

Catherine Mahon (1869–1948) was the first woman 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.

Mahon was re-elected in 1913 despite he usual one term assumption. The teachers’ paper, Irish School Weekly in 14 December 1912 claimed "the general who has in every encounter routed the enemy's cavalry, must be retained at the head of the forces." This allowed her to give evidence as president to the Dill Commission which went on to vindicate the teachers and recommend changes but refused to recommend the reinstatement of Mansfield. As a result, the following year she resigned from the executive. She stepped down Easter 1916. She was questioned for her vocal support of the Easter rising.

An issue which arose in her final year on the executive was the War bonus, which granted men double the pay of women. Mahon protested this and declared success in November 1916. In 1919 she criticized the Education bill by Ian MacPherson and called the INTO executive British apologists. She made similar accusations against INTO's president and the general secretary T. J. O'Connell. As a result in 1920 she was charged with libel. Mahon refused to accept the British court's jurisdiction but once she was silenced the INTO dropped the case. She stayed out of public life on a national level from then on. It was there she died and was buried.

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