However, Markievicz exercised her right not to take her elected seat in line with Sinn Féin’s traditional policy (the swearing in at the House of Commons involved an oath of allegiance to the King, which they refused to take).

She became the first woman ever to be elected to Dáil Éireann (the Assembly of Ireland), which was set up by the Irish Republicans, to represent the constituency of Dublin. She served as minister for labour from 1919 to 1922.

She held cabinet rank for several months in 1919, making her the first Irish female cabinet minister. She remained active in politics and was elected twice more. She was also a tireless charity worker – when she died suddenly of appendicitis in 1927, she was on a poor ward having given away all her money.

Markievicz paved the way for all women who followed her in British and Irish politics. After her election, a succession of women became MPs in both Britain and Ireland.

Shockingly, though, she remained the only female Irish cabinet minister until 1979 when Máire Geoghegan- Quinn became minister for the Gaeltacht (the department of children and youth affairs).

Women are still badly underrepresented in politics – in Britain they make up only 32% of all MPs.

The Forgotten Women series is part of Stylist’s Visible Women campaign, dedicated to raising the profiles of brilliant women past and present. See more Visible Women stories here.

The true story of Constance Markievicz, the Irish rebel who became our first female MP