Page 111 - GAHS Journal Volume 9

GREYSTONES ARCHAEOLOGICAL & HISTORICAL SOCIETY JOURNAL VOLUME 9

home. Mrs West’s money, work, entertainments and fund-raising
events were praised and Irene Bewley, Hon. Secretary, received
much thanks for her 'great organising ability and wonderful tact'.
Mrs Featherstonhaugh, Dr Jameson, Miss Lydia Figgis and the
Girl Guides, as well as the Grand Hotel and the Golf Club, also
received recognition.

Post war

The social columns blithely returned to their detailed
reporting of dances and outfits. Averil’s cream silk frock with a
cobalt blue net sash was duly noted at the Trinity Week Ball in
June 1919, but she was also on the organising committee. There
was rather more coverage of two visitors to Dublin that week in
whom she would have taken a great interest. Alcock and Brown
were being lavishly feted for having flown the Atlantic, and flights
of 20 or 30 passengers in the near future were being gaily
predicted. Her status as a new barrister was no doubt celebrated
when, on 30 December 1921, she danced from 9 to 3 at a Fancy
Dress Ball at the Grand Hotel with the Morphy siblings, Kathleen
Burgess, Enid Mecredy, and Hilda Dudgeon.

But, post war, life had changed irrevocably and new
opportunities were at last opening up. The granting of a partial
franchise to women over 30 in 1918 made little difference to
Averil and many of her women friends: most were not old enough
and/or were barred from voting by lack of status as property
owners. Another piece of legislation held out far more promise:
the advent of the Sex Discrimination (Removal) Act in December
1919 at last made it possible for them to pursue professional
qualifications and careers. Somewhat inconsistently, they had
long been ‘allowed’ to be doctors and teachers, but little else, so
many now seized the chance to enter domains previously
occupied exclusively by men.

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