Born: 1877 (circa), Ireland
Died: 17 November 1941
Country most active: Ireland
Also known as: Mary Daly
This biography is republished from The Dictionary of Irish Biography and was written by Frances Clarke. Shared by permission in line with Creative Commons ‘Attribution’ (CC BY) licencing.
Cosgrave, Mary Josephine (c.1877–1941), social worker and local politician, was born in Naas, Co. Kildare, the daughter of James William Daly and Jane Daly. Educated at St Mary’s Convent in Naas, she went on to study at St Andrews University, from where she graduated LLA. She settled in Rathmines, Dublin, and in 1896 she was engaged as a lecturer at the Training College of Our Lady of Mercy, Baggot St., Dublin. She was for some time an examiner in English for the intermediate board of education, Ireland. In July 1901 she married the solicitor and journalist Maurice Cosgrave.
Interested in social work, most particularly maternity and child welfare work, she played a prominent role in the Women’s National Health Association from its earliest days, serving as its president after the death of Lady Aberdeen in 1939. Her involvement in its campaign against tuberculosis led to her association with the Peamount sanatorium, where she again replaced Lady Aberdeen as president in 1939; she was also a member of its After Care Guild. First elected to the Rathmines urban district council in 1922, she was a member of Dublin corporation from 1933 until her death, during which time she sat on numerous committees, including the housing committee, the city of Dublin child welfare committee, the city of Dublin vocational educational committee, and committees for the Cheeverstown Convalescent Home for Little Children and the National Children’s Hospital. Chairman of the Meath hospital committee, the county libraries committee, and the Dublin county council until 1930, she also played an influential role in the Civics Institute. She was for some time a key figure in the Irish Women Citizens’ Association, for which she also held the post of chairman. She represented the National Council of Ireland at international congresses abroad. She died 17 November 1941 at her home in Cowper Gardens, Dublin.