I am going to a dinner tonight to celebrate the centenary of the enactment of the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919. This allowed women for the first time to enter all kinds of professions and to be appointed to the senior ranks of the civil service. I signed up with a group of friends a month ago in a flush of enthusiasm but now I have to go and I am not as keen as I was at the end of October. Doubtless all will be well when I arrive but I have to say, I am not contemplating the prospect of getting myself dressed up and presentable and out the door on a freezing November evening with anything but the deepest sense of foreboding. Sigh.
Updated to add: I actually had a great time but I did spend 15 minutes at the start of the evening hiding in the upstairs toilets waiting for someone I knew to arrive and was only forced out into company again by the arrival into the bathroom of former President, Mary McAleese (the keynote speaker, v friendly, in fairness to her) as it seemed a bit odd to be hanging around while she was there.
Some things you have to just soldier for and through…. hope it went well, gladrags and all.
well done for November – you were great!
‘Forced out of the Ladies by the former president’ must be the most Irish predicament ever.
TM, quite possibly, yes.
Thanks Heather. It was hard but I feel very virtuous.
Not too bad in the end, Conor, thanks.
Good lord, I cannot think of any circumstance in which I would emerge from the loo and find the head of state in front of me. Your seat in the senate awaits. I did enjoy November’s efforts, I found it lovely to eavesdrop on a real family. Away to your sulkiness now.
The attendance of Mary McAleese at any occasion inevitably brings to mind this twitter thread from Séamas O’Reilly
https://twitter.com/shockproofbeats/status/992006545473966082
Former head of State, Charles, former, still quite a surprise though. Thank you for reading through November, you are very kind. Yes, Eimear, that was literally the first thing that popped into my head. I wonder does she know about it?