IWD 2022: Mary Ann McCracken (1770-1866) & Mary Alice McNeill (1897-1984) -Their Lives & Legacies

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To mark International Women’s Day 2022 the Irish Association, in partnership with the Mary Ann McCracken Foundation, are hosting a special virtual event- Mary Ann McCracken (1770-1866) & Mary Alice McNeill (1897-1984) -Their Lives & Legacies.

Mary Ann McCracken and her biographer, Mary Alice (Molly) McNeill were two formidable Belfast women, who, while living in different times, had much in common.  Both came from comfortable Presbyterian business families and had the privilege of educational advantages not available to most girls and young women of their generation.

Both worked to alleviate poverty, primarily through their engagement with the Belfast Charitable Society; but this commitment went beyond Christian philanthropy. Their practical philanthropic work was informed by their progressive ideas about care of children, the disadvantaged and social justice.

The two Marys were each deeply engaged with the social, political and cultural movements of their times. Mary Ann McCracken was an active participant in the United Irish Movement – working for inclusive political reforms for the benefit of Protestant, Catholic and Dissenter. Mary Alice McNeill was a founding member of the Irish Association for Cultural, Economic and Social Relations, established to promote communication, understanding and co-operation between all the people of Ireland, both north and south. Their work in the across three centuries continues to resonate and remains relevant across the island today.

Speaker: Ruth Taillon (Vice-President of the Irish Association)

Music by Jane Cassidy & Maurice Leyden

***Please note registration for this event has now closed***