accompanying her husband Seán T. O'Kelly at events in Ireland and abroad during the time he served as President of Ireland. One such time was at the first visit of the Irish President to the United States in 1959. Mulcahy also benefited from the success in the United States of fellow Irish designer, Sybil Connolly, with her exporting most of her output to American and German markets. Mulcahy presented her 1967 collection on a transatlantic liner, and at a society luncheon fashion event in Chicago in 1968 her designs were exhibited. She founded the Irish Haute Couture Group with Irene Gilbert and Ib Jorgensen in 1962 to promote Irish fashion to foreign markets. Mulcahy won a number of contracts to supply women's uniform suits, including Great Southern Hotels, Allied Irish Banks staff, CIÉ train hostesses, and Shannon Duty Free shop staff. One of her most celebrated uniforms was her 1963 Aer Lingus air hostesses, made in Kelly green tweed. By the 1960s couture became old-fashioned and was seen as too expensive, and Mulcahy's company was unable to adapt to off the hanger clothes. Even her use of Irish fabrics became a sign that her designs were dated, and ultimately unappealing to younger women. She was critical of the government for not supporting the Irish fashion industry, which was subject to extra heavy duties when exported. On 1 July 1969, she closed her workshop. She continued as a designer, working with at least one retailer designing tweed garments, and was an adviser on fashion and garment production to the government. She maintained her links with the Grafton Academy, judging graduating student collections, aiding in the development of a large number of upcoming designers. Death and legacy Mulcahy donated her archive to the National Museum of Ireland. In 1996, her work was featured in an exhibition in the Ulster Museum curated by Elizabeth McCrum. The National Museum exhibited a retrospective of her work in 2007. She died on 6 May 2012 in Dublin and is buried in Mount Venus cemetery. References Further reading Staunton, A. (2008) "Neilli Mulcahy: Irish Haute Couture of the 50s and 60s, at the National Museum of Ireland: Decorative Arts and History", Museum Ireland 18, pages 143-145. 1925 births 2012 deaths Irish fashion designers People educated at Loreto College, St Stephen's Green Irish women fashion designers People from Dublin (city) Irish businesspeople