In 1882 women were finally permitted to join the Faculty of Medicine at Queen’s College Belfast. The first to graduate, in 1893 and practise as a qualified medical doctor in the North of Ireland was Elizabeth Gould Bell.
Elizabeth established her clinic in Great Victoria Street, where she worked as a general practitioner and gynaecologist. From the beginning of her professional life, she was keenly interested in social welfare and the health and wellbeing of women and children. This led her to becoming Chief Medical Officer to the Malone Place Hospital for homeless and unmarried mothers. She was also a physician at the Belfast Babies Home and Training School at The Grove.
Her passion for social justice led to her involvement with the women’s suffrage movement. In 1911 she participated in a demonstration in London, where she was arrested and briefly imprisoned. Elizabeth continued to work throughout her life for women’s rights, and her contribution was eventually rewarded in 1928, when women in Ulster were given the vote.
During the First World War, Elizabeth joined the Royal Army Medical Corps and in 1916 was stationed in Malta. She returned to Belfast to resume her work as a GP in 1917. In the same year, her only son Hugh died from wounds received at the Battle of Passchendaele.
Elizabeth Gould Bell continued to work as a GP up until her death in 1934 at the age of 71. In 2016 the Ulster History Circle placed a Blue Plaque commemorating Dr Bell at Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry, near to where she had been brought up.
Sa deireadh thiar thall in 1882, bhí cead ag mná a bheith i nDámh an Leighis i gColáiste na Banríona, Béal Feirste. Ba í Elizabeth Gould Bell an chéad duine a bhain céim amach, in 1893, agus a d’oibrigh mar dhochtúir cáilithe i dTuaisceart na hÉireann.
Chuir Elizabeth a clinic ar bun ar Mhórshráid Victoria, áit ar oibrigh sí mar dhochtúir ginearálta agus gínéiceolaí. Ó thús a saoil ghairmiúil, bhí an-suim aici sa leas sóisialach, agus i sláinte agus folláine na mban agus na bpáistí. Mar gheall air seo, rinneadh Príomhoifigeach Leighis di in Malone Place Hospital for homeless and unmarried mothers. Ba lia í fosta in Belfast Babies Home and Training School ag an Gharrán.
Mar gheall ar a díograis don cheartas sóisialta bhí baint aici leis an ghluaiseacht ar son cheart vótála na mban. Ghlac sí páirt i léirsiú i Londain in 1911, gabhadh agus cuireadh i bpríosún í dá bharr. Lean Elizabeth ar aghaidh ag obair ar son chearta na mban ar feadh a saoil, agus tugadh luach a saothair di sa deireadh thiar thall in 1928, nuair a tugadh an vóta do mhná i gCúige Uladh.
Le linn an Chéad Chogaidh Dhomhanda, chuaigh Elizabeth le Royal Army Medical Corps, agus bhí sí lonnaithe i Málta in 1916. Phill sí ar Bhéal Feirste le bheith ag obair mar DG arís in 1917, An bhliain chéanna, fuair an t-aon mhac a bhí aici, Hugh, bás de bharr na gcréachtaí a fuair sé ag Cath Passchendaele.
Lean Elizabeth Gould Bell de bheith ag obair mar DG go dtí go bhfuair sí bás sa bhliain 1934 agus í 74 d’aois. Chuir Ciorcal Staire Uladh plaic ghorm ar Otharlann Chnoc na Nóiníní ar an Iúr i gcuimhne ar Dr Bell sa bhliain 2016, in aice leis an áit ar tógadh í.
