Eleanora Fleury facts for kids

Eleonora Lilian Fleury (1867–1960) sometimes known as Norah Fleury was born in Manchester in 1867 to her father Charles Robert Fleury, who was also a doctor/surgeon. She was homeschooled in her younger years however she studied medicine at the London School of Medicine for Woman and the Royal Free Hospital. In 1890 she became the first female medical graduate of the Royal University of Ireland with first-degree honours and a first-class exhibition. In 1887, Fleury came first in the list of the examinations in medicine at the Royal University and was commended for in the Dublin Medical Press. In 1893 she was awarded an MD from the Royal University of Ireland and won a gold medal. She worked at Homerton Fever Hospital in London and also in Richmond Asylum in Grangegorman and in Portrance now known as St. Ita's Hospital.

Education

Eleonora Fleury was the first female medical graduate of the Royal University of Ireland, she graduated in 1890 with first-class honours and a first-class exhibition. The Royal University of Ireland formerly known as the Catholic University of Ireland and the Queen's University of Ireland, the Royal University of Ireland was dissolved on 31 October 1909. The National University of Ireland and the Queen's University of Belfast took over its functions under the Irish Universities Act 1908. A high number of graduates at the University at this time were females (first nine in 1884) because Trinity College Dublin didn't accept female students until 1904. Dr. Fleury became a successful psychiatrist, as well as the first woman member of the Medico-Psychological Association (MPA), now known as the Royal College of Psychiatrists. In 1893, she was proposed by Dr. Conolly Norman, a president of the MPA and one-time editor of the Journal of Mental Science. This was denied for a year, due to the reasoning that the association rules had to be changed to allow her admission. In 1894 she was elected by 23 votes to 7. This made her the first female psychiatrist in Ireland and Great Britain. She had been a student at the Richmond Hospital, in Dublin and the London School of Medicine for Women for a three-month course of clinical instruction in mental diseases. In April 1890 she passed the final examination at RUI and was first in order of merit. Following qualification, she worked at the Homerton Fever Hospital in London for a year before returning to Ireland to work at the Richmond Asylum (later called Grangegorman) for 27 years. Dr. Fleury became deputy medical director but was always ‘passed over for male colleagues’. From 1921 she worked at Portrane Asylum, Donabate, until she retired in 1926.

Work

Fleury had many jobs and careers over her lifetime in the medical field. After graduating from the Royal University of Ireland, she had her clinical instruction at the Richmond Hospital in Dublin and the London School of Medicine for Women. As well her successful education career, she also became the first female member of the Medico-Psychological Association (now the Royal College of Psychiatrists), having been proposed as such by member Conolly Norman, (whose protégé she was) in 1893, and elected by 23 votes to 7 in 1894, after the association rules had been changed to allow women as members. After graduating medical school with honours, she worked as a resident at the Homerton Fever Hospital in London for a year. After her work at Homerton, she then took up residency at the Richmond Asylum, which later became known as Grangegorman, Ireland for 27 years.[1] She eventually became deputy medical director there.[1] From 1921 until 1926 she worked at Portrane Asylum, in Donabate, and then she retired.[1]

She also worked in Richmond and had a very important role. She was not only involved in treating patients but she was also involved with teaching nurses and attendants who were studying for the new certificate of proficiency Mental Nursing. A high number of graduates at the University at this time were females (first nine in 1884) because Trinity College Dublin didn't accept female students until 1904. Formerly known as Catholic University of Ireland and Queen's University of Ireland, the Royal University of Ireland was dissolved on 31 October 1909. The National University of Ireland and Queen's University of Belfast took over its functions under the Irish Universities Act 1908.

Legacy

Fleury was very involved in the nationalist movement and often used Richmond and Portrane asylums to conceal and help the wounded republican fugitives. In 1923 she got into some trouble with the authorities and was arrested and imprisoned. She was imprisoned in Kilmainham Gaol. As she was in the prison she concerned about the female inmates' medical welfare. After her release, she was still worried and concerned about this and was persisted as she highlighted the prisoners' plight and appealed for better conditions. In 1923, she was detained in Kilmainham Gaol in Dublin. She had been involved in an organised assistance and escape programme for anti-treaty prisoners centred on the asylum at Portrane. While in Kilmainham she served as medical officer to the republican prisoners using whatever sparse resources were available to her. On her release, she returned to her duties at Portrane.

An exhibition on the "women of the peninsula" or "Mná Na Leithinse" celebrated Eleanora's work/achievements during the "bleeding pig cultural festival" at the Donabate and Portrane peninsula on 8 March 2017. After her retirement, she resided at upper Rathmines Road, Dublin, remained exceptionally active throughout her life until her passing in 1960. She is buried at Mount Jerome Cemetery in Harold's Cross, Dublin.

Death

After prison, she still practised medicine in Portrane until her retirement. She lived in the Upper Rathmines road in Dublin and lead an active life until her death in 1960. She is buried in Mount Jerome Cemetery in Harold's Cross in Dublin. She never married or had children.

Eleonora Fleury (1860–1940) was the first female medical graduate of the Royal University of Ireland; she graduated in 1890 with first-class honours and a first-class exhibition. She had her clinical instruction at the Richmond Hospital in Dublin and the London School of Medicine for Women. She was also the first female member of the Medico Psychological Association (now the Royal College of Psychiatrists), having been proposed as such by member Conolly Norman (whose protégé she was) in 1893, and elected by 23 votes to 7 in 1894, after the association rules had been changed to allow women as members. After graduating medical school, she worked at the Homerton Fever Hospital in London for a year, and then worked at the Richmond Asylum (later called Grangegorman) in Ireland for 27 years. She eventually became deputy medical director there. From 1921 until 1926 she worked at Portrane Asylum in Donabate, and then she retired. She was arrested in 1921 by Irish state forces for being involved in an assistance and escape program for anti-treaty prisoners which was centred on the asylum at Portrane. After she was released she returned to her work at the asylum.