Lord Mayor of Dublin Launches Landmark Initiative to Address Under-Representation of Women in the Capital

The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Cllr Ray McAdam has today convened a meeting with the leaders of Dublin's major cultural institutions, marking the official launch of a multi-phased initiative designed to address the deficit of women represented in the city’s public art.

Dublin City Council (DCC) is inviting them to help shape a long-term strategy that will transform how women's history is celebrated in Dublin entitled Foregrounding Women in the Public Realm, with the first project being the Monument to the Women of the Revolutionary Decade.

The strategy serves as a response to the Report of the Advisory Committee on Women’s Stories (published in October 2025), translating its national cultural recommendations into localised, regional action. The initiative is devised to rectify the gender imbalance as the majority of monuments and plaques are dedicated to men. When women are represented, they are disproportionately depicted as anonymous allegorical figures rather than named historical individuals.

Today’s meeting is the beginning of a dialogue, and the involvement and expertise of those present will shape how the programme develops. Following today's initial consultation, DCC aims to establish an Advisory Group featuring cultural institution partners and commence the city-wide gender audit of art in the public realm. 

Speaking today, Lord Mayor Cllr Ray McAdam said: ”The public realm is our civic memory. It tells every child walking through our streets who mattered, what we value, and what kind of city we believe ourselves to be. This initiative is about Celebrating Dublin by telling the fuller story of Dublin, addressing the under representation of women in the places where our city remembers itself. The commissioning of a Monument to the Women of the Revolutionary Decade must be the next major step, and a catalyst for wider change. Women were not marginal to the Revolutionary Decade, and our response cannot be marginal either. Any sculpture honouring their courage, leadership and sacrifice must be located on O’Connell Street, front and centre, on our city and country’s premier street.”

Councillor Donna Cooney, Chair of the Dublin City Commemorations and Naming Committee, added: “I've been working on this project for a number of years and it's very exciting to be at this stage now. Public art should represent who we are as a nation. Women have not received the recognition they deserved. We want future generations of girls and women to be inspired by the women and work they did to shape the Ireland we live in now. From the fights for equality, votes for women, workers' rights in the lock out and unions, to Ireland's independence.”

Beginning in September 2026, the programme will roll out across four strategic phases:

1. Evidence Base and Policy: A comprehensive gender audit of Dublin's existing public art and plaques to establish a measurable baseline, alongside the creation of a formal gender-equitable commissioning policy.
2. Public Engagement and Research: A public launching symposium, a city-wide lecture series, and community-led story-gathering to surface hidden histories.
3. Commissioning: Rolling out a diverse range of public works—including temporary and permanent sculptures, with an emphasis on creating opportunities for Irish women artists.

Review and Continuity: Implementing physical and digital public interpretation for each commission and engaging schools and universities, and publishing an annual report on gender representation in the public realm.

ENDS