She was born and raised in Ireland, and later became the first female veterinary student, and eventually first female veterinary surgeon, in the UK and Ireland. Although she was one of the best students in her class in Edinburgh in 1900, she was not allowed to sit her final veterinary diploma exams because she was female. However, she persisted and became a successful vet, facing many challenges along the way. She returned to Ireland and became a trusted and admired veterinary surgeon in the west. She later drove herself to France during World War I and volunteered to help the war horses.
Aleen Cust’s story was recently featured on RTÉ’s Nationwide and in Herstory at EPIC: The Irish Emigration Museum. A group of vets is currently working on creating an entire museum dedicated to her in the west of Ireland.
