joined the Progressive Democrats, a splinter party from Fianna Fáil lead by an Haughey archrival Desmond O'Malley. Political views and profile Over the course of her political career, Ahern combined Irish nationalism/Irish republicanism with social conservativism, paralleling the trends within Fianna Fáil in the 1970s and 1980s. Ahern was a lifelong supporter of the Irish language and an active member of Conradh na Gaeilge. During her tenure as President of Irish Countrywomen's Association, she encouraged the use of Irish during meetings. As ICA President, Ahern declared herself the first "Peasant President" of the organisation and cultivated an image of herself as a rural upstart as opposed to her supposed middle-class urbanite predecessors. Ahern was able to successfully use her presidency as a stepping stone into political office, despite the fact that the ICA's constitution forbid members from engaging in politics. Ahern retorted that it would be hypothetical for her to reject a nomination to the Seanad having previously advocated for women to become more politically active. Upon her ascension to the Seanad, Ahern declared she took the role "as a tribute to the women of Ireland, as a tribute to myself and to try to create a base for a new North Kerry Fianna Fáil TD". Despite being the first woman to hold a number of political offices and one of the most prominent women in Irish politics in her era, Ahern was considered highly conservative, particularly on issues relating to women. Ahern opposed contraception, divorce and even annulment of marriage. Ahern opposed the creation of crèches for women in politics, and instead advocated that women should give up politics to become full-time mothers if they became pregnant. Following a report by the Commission on the Status of Women in 1973, Ahern remarked "I have very decided ideas of women's role in life and in my own county the women are doing a great job of work in the keeping their going and directing and bring up their families. This, I think, is what almighty God intended them to do". Speaking in 2004, Ahern stated retroactively that “Jack Lynch and Des O’Malley were my two heroes in politics. I was in Dublin the night they threw Dessie out. Men of outstanding integrity. Only for Jack Lynch keeping his cool on the Northern issue in 1968, we would have had a civil war, no doubt about that.” Personal life When she