Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

A Leas-Cheann Comhairle, ar an 14 Nollaig 1918, tharla eachtra a bhí thar a bheith stairiúil i stair na hÉireann. Ba é sin, ar bhonn 32 chontae vótáil an pobal ar son rialtas neamhspleách. Ba é an chéad toghchán riamh a ritheadh sa tír seo a raibh vóta ag gach fear os cionn 21 bhliain agus ag na mná a bhí os cionn 30 bliain d'aois. Bhí ar na mná fanacht go raibh Rialtas dúchasach an go dtí go bhfaighidís an vóta ar an mbonn céanna agus a raibh sé ag na fir.

Toghadh an Cuntaois Markievicz agus go gairid ina dhiaidh sin ceapadh í ina céad bhean a bhí mar Aire Rialtais in áit ar bith san Eoraip. Is fiú tógáil san áireamh freisin go raibh seisear ban tofa sa Dara Dáil.

Rud eile a bhí suntasach faoi, ar ndóigh, ná go raibh go leor, go leor de na hiarrthóirí imtheorannaithe i bpríosún ag an am i Sasana. Is as an toghchán seo a bunaíodh Dáil Éireann, an Chéad Dáil agus táimid sa Tríochadóú Dáil anois. I measc na ndaoine a bhí i bpríosún Lincoln ag an am bhí mo sheanathair Éamon de Valera agus is fiú a nótáil ní amháin go raibh sé ina Theachta Dála don Chlár ach bhí sé ina Theachta Dála do Mhaigh Eo Thoir i ndiaidh an toghcháin sin freisin.

This is a very important commemoration. First because it was the first election in which all men over 21 and women over 30 years of age had a vote. Women had to wait until we had a native Government before they got votes on the same basis as men. It was historic because it was the election that decided to form this Dáil or independent Parliament. It also was very important because, as has been said by the Tánaiste, Countess Markievicz, who obviously took her seat in Dáil Éireann, became the first elected woman either in Britain or Ireland. Mar sin, is dóigh liom gur lá fíorthábhachtach é seo.

See this speech in context