The Elizabethan Society was founded by Isabel Marion Weir Johnston, Trinity’s first female student, in 1905. At the time, women were restricted from participating in many aspects of college life. Female students had few spaces available to them on campus and were barred from joining major societies like the Phil and the Hist. The Eliz, based out of Teach 6, supported female students both practically and intellectually – providing access to typewriters and sewing machines, but also encouraging women to engage in competitive debating.

As female enrolment at Trinity increased over the twentieth century, the Eliz remained an integral part of college life, a particularly important accomplishment given the other debating societies’ consistent refusal of female members. The Eliz sent independent teams to the Irish Times debating championships early in the competition’s history and hosted debates, papers, and group discussions, as well as the legendary Eliz Garden Party. Each year, the society also welcomed esteemed guests to speak on topics relating to women, feminism, and social equality.

In the 1960s, discussions began regarding the potential merging of the Eliz and the Phil. After several rounds of debate and a number of contentious votes, the Phil admitted its first female member, Elizabeth Hall, to the society in 1967. The Phil and Eliz officially merged in 1981, at which point the Eliz went out of session. For the next several decades, the position of Eliz President was an honorary title within the Phil, bestowed upon the highest-ranking female member of Phil council.

In 2020, thanks to a renewed interest in the Eliz and a recognition of the barriers to debating that women and gender minorities still face, the Eliz was reinstated as a subcommittee of the Phil. Since 2024, the Eliz has run its own elections for officers and president. Alongside hosting chamber debates each term, the Eliz also invites notable guests for honorary patronage, organises debate tournaments, runs trainings for WGM debaters, and puts on a range of social events. Today, the Eliz aims above all else to champion the voices of women and gender minorities in discourse and debate, and hopes to create a space that is both welcoming and empowering for all WGM who might be interested in getting involved.

To keep up to date with the Eliz, follow us on social media: @tcdeliz