Mary Ryan

Mary Ryan (14 December 1873 – 16 June 1961) was the first woman in Ireland or Great Britain to be a professor at a university. She was the Professor of Romance Languages at University College Cork in 1910. Early life and education Ryan was born on 14 December 1873 at 4 Thomas Street West, Cork city, to Edward Ryan and Matilda (née O'Connor) of Blackrock Road. Edward Ryan owned the soap manufacturing company which later made candles. The company became Kinsale Candles and now belongs to Punch Industries, a subsidiary of Henkel. Ryan attended, and was the first student, at St Angela's College in Cork; initially founded as a secondary school for girls by the Ursuline Sisters. The school extended its reach to become what was then known as a 'University top' where girls could get a University education before sitting the exams through the Royal University of Ireland. Women were not allowed to attend lectures in the University but they could sit the exams and get a degree. Ryan gained her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1895 from the Royal University. Career Appointed in 1909 as a lecturer in German, Ryan became the first woman professor when she was appointed in 1910 in University College Cork. Ryan was able to join the faculty because of the legislative change in 1908 which had created the National University of Ireland, a University system which did allow for the admittance of women. While this created greater opportunity for Ryan and others, it spelled the end of the women's colleges like St Angela's since they were no longer needed to give women a University education.