Florence Moon: Bringing the suffragette movement to Connacht

Florence Moon, who was born in Birmingham, came to live in Galway following her marriage to Charles Moon. The couple had three children, Blanche, Elsa and Charles. The Moon family were prestigious locally, owners of a prominent drapery store, contributors to philanthropic causes and members of local committees.

In 1911, Florence attended the public talk in the town hall organised by the Irish Women's Franchise League to hear Christabel Pankhurst speak. In 1913, she was a founder member of the Connacht Women's Franchise League, a non-militant organisation.

Moon, who was honorary secretary of the league, was active in preparing reports, organising meetings and lobbying the local MP, Stephen Gwynn, on women’s education. In an article submitted to the local press, Moon explained why she was interested in women’s suffrage, the influence of her suffragist mother, the reasons why women should be allowed to vote in parliamentary elections and the social changes that women’s votes could influence.

She argued that women wanted power, to have the right to influence legislation that affected their lives and to end sweated labour conditions. Florence Moon and her family left Galway around 1918 to live in England.