Delia Moclair

Delia Moclair (8 January 1895 – 23 November 1971) was an Irish obstetrician, and first woman assistant master of the National Maternity Hospital, Dublin.

Early life Delia Moclair was born Bridget Angela Moclair in John Street, Cashel, County Tipperary on 8 January 1895. She was the youngest of the seven children of Patrick and Margaret Moclair (née Carew). Her father was evicted from his farm by the local unionist politician and landlord, Arthur Smith-Barry, in March 1888. As a local organiser during the Plan of Campaign, her father was arrested and jailed a number of times, finally having his farm and home restored to him in 1911. Moclair attended the Presentation convent, Cashel and later the Ursuline convent, Waterford. She entered University College Dublin to study medicine, graduating MB, BCh, BAO in 1921 and DPH in 1922. She could also speak Irish fluently, and was an accomplished mezzo-soprano singer, winning the Denis O'Sullivan medal at the 1921 Feis Ceoil, and often performed at events and concerts. They argued that the secrecy and shame associated with sexual assault resulted in low rates of reporting and only young women who became pregnant would admit they had been raped or sexually assaulted. Moclair's testimony, along with that of many other women experts, was largely ignored by the committee, and the transcripts remained sealed in the National Archives until 1999.