Constance was born Gore-Booth, the daughter of wealthy Irish landowners. She had a cosseted early life, including being presented at court in 1887. While studying art in London, she met and married a Polish artist, Count Casimir Markievicz, before returning to Ireland in 1903.
Constance became increasingly involved in Irish Nationalist politics, taking part in strikes and helping found the Irish Citizens' Army. She was sentenced to death for her part in the 1916 Easter Rising which was commuted to life imprisonment. It was while she was in prison that she stood as a Sinn Fein candidate in the 1918 election, becoming the first woman to be elected as an MP. But, along with the other republicans, she refused to take her seat. As the first woman minister in the Nationalist government, Constance continued to fight for republican cause right up to her death.
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