Muriel Francoise Gahan was an Irish rural campaigner and a promoter of traditional crafts and of the cooperative movement.
20 Facts About Muriel Gahan
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Muriel Gahan commissioned the first adult Aran jumper, launched the Irish Homespun Society and helped lead the Irish Country Markets co-operative for decades.
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Muriel Gahan was the first female vice-president of the Royal Dublin Society and received an honorary doctorate from Trinity College Dublin and the Plunkett Award for Cooperative Endeavour.
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Muriel Gahan's parents were Winifred and Fredrick George Townsend Gahan.
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Muriel Gahan's father was a civil engineer with the Congested Districts Board and her mother was originally from Cambridgeshire and had been employed as a governess.
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Muriel Gahan had at least one sister and four brothers.
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Muriel Gahan was educated at home under the care of a governess and later attended a girls' school St Winifred's, in Llanfairfechan, Wales.
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Muriel Gahan returned to Ireland in 1914 to attend Alexandra College until 1916.
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When her father retired in 1926, Muriel Gahan returned to Dublin.
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In 1927 Muriel Gahan started her career as a painter and decorator with the Modern Decorator, an all-female firm.
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Muriel Gahan left her job in 1930 and along with other United Irishwomen opened a sales depot in Dublin, called the Country Shop, for the work of isolated rural craft workers who were unable to achieve proper prices for their work.
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Muriel Gahan was heavily involved in Irish Country Markets Ltd from 1946, a cooperative society marketing crafts and produce, serving as chairwoman until 1975.
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Muriel Gahan was a member of the RDS from 1946, and served on its industries, art, and general purposes committee in 1948.
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Muriel Gahan was among the founding members of the Arts Council in 1951, and was appointed to the council of the Arts and Crafts Society of Ireland and to the National Savings Committee in 1956.
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Muriel Gahan advocated for the teaching of crafts in Ireland, and was successful in lobbying the National College of Art and Design to found a school of weaving.
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Muriel Gahan was central to the ICA's securing funds from the Kellogg Foundation of America for An Grianan, a residential training college at Termonfeckin, County Louth.
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Muriel Gahan was awarded an honorary life membership of the ICA, in recognition of her work, in 1965.
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Muriel Gahan became the first female vice-president of the RDS in 1976.
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Muriel Gahan retired from the ICA in 1992, and lived in Shankill, Dublin.
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Muriel Gahan later moved to Ballsbridge, into St Mary's nursing home.