The Central Bank has launched a silver commemorative coin, to mark the 100 year anniversary of Irish women winning the right to vote.

It is being produced in conjunction with the Oireachtas Vótáil 100 programme.

1918 was the first time Irish women were permitted by law to vote and stand in parliamentary elections.

After the Representation of the People Act gave women the vote, the Parliament (Qualification of Women) Act 1918 was passed in November 1918 - allowing women to be elected to parliament in Westminster.

In the November 1918 general election, Countess Markievicz was the first woman elected as a MP to the UK House of Commons - though she never took her seat.

Instead, she joined the revolutionary first Dáil in 1919, becoming the first female TD and one of the first women in the world to hold a Cabinet position as Minister for Labour from 1919 to 1922.

Struck in .925 sterling silver, the coin was designed by Michael Guilfoyle and is the first Irish commemorative coin to feature colour since the Special Olympics coin of 2003.

The figure of a suffragette stands in the foreground, holding a banner demanding the vote for Irish women.

Behind her in silhouette is a procession of women marching forward to represent the progress in equality from 1918 to the present day.

They walk along a road painted in the colours of the suffragette movement in Ireland.

The front and back of the the commemorative coin | Image: Central Bank of Ireland

The Central Bank says the design "celebrates the progression of equality for women in Ireland over the last century."

The €15 silver proof coin is on sale from Wednesday for €63. It has an issue limit of 3,000 and can be purchased online.

Proof coins are collectable coins and are not intended for general circulation

At the launch in Leinster House, deputy Central Bank Governor Sharon Donnery said: "The Central Bank is honoured to launch this coin to commemorate this momentous event in Irish history, when Irish women won the right to vote.

"We are delighted to be able to celebrate and mark such a significant event 100 years on."

An Ceann Comhairle, Seán Ó Fearghaíl, added: "This coin provides a historically resonant keepsake allowing us to reflect on the political progress of women over the last century.

"The suffragists and suffragettes of the early 20th century dreamed of a central role for women in the democratic life of Ireland.

"As the detail and beautiful design of this coin reminds us, these rights were not won easily, nor is this long journey towards equality complete."