Sir, – I refer to Catriona Crowe’s identification of the Representation of People Act 1918 as a significant step on the way to full enfranchisement for women albeit conditioned by head of household status and being over 30 years of age (Opinion, May 25th). The first step on this road had been taken a generation earlier when the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 had extended voting rights to women – an outcome prompted by the lobbying of the indefatigable Anna Haslam and other suffragists, female and male. The ensuing local government elections of 1899 represented the first occasion on which women were entitled to participation in an island-wide democratic franchise, almost 20 years before voting rights for parliamentary elections were granted. – Yours, etc,
LIAM KENNY,
Broadfield,
Naas,
Co Kildare.