The aims of this thesis are threefold: firstly to investigate the role of reformist philanthropy as an aegis of social change in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century in Ireland; secondly the impact of reformist philanthropy on child care provision. Particular focus will be given to the Cottage Home for Little Children in Kingstown (now Dun Laoghaire), founded initially as a créche by Rosa Barrett in 1879. The third main aim of the thesis is to examine the linkages, if any, which existed between the suffrage movement in Ireland and international women's welfare movements. In applying these questions, the reformer Rosa Mary Barrett (1854-1936) serves as a case-model ofa reformist philanthropist who dedicated her life to reform and child care at a local, national and international level. Chapter one of the thesis will introduce reformist philanthropy, and will address some key reformist organisations. Chapter two is a biographical treatment of Rosa Mary Barrett (1854-1936). Chapter three deals specifically with the Créche and Cottage Home at Kingstown, as well as contemporary developments in the childcare sphere. Finally chapter four is a wider analysis of the connections between philanthropy and the suffrage campaign, linked to an international movement pursuing women's welfare interests.