Róisín Ingle ... on the women of 1916

I don't know how I feel about the impending 1916 commemorations. I think I'm allowed to say that without my passport being torn up. I hope so anyway. But ambivalence about marking 100 years since Pearse read out the proclamation does seem somehow unpatriotic.

Not that I mind being called unpatriotic. Sometimes you wouldn’t want to be associated with what has passed and what passes for Irish patriotism. And the only reason I exist is because my English great grandfather’s ship was wrecked off Ringsend and he never went home. And also because decades later my Ringsend father crossed the Irish sea and fell in love with my English mother. So “Irishness” can be a challenging concept sometimes. And sometimes all the many shades of it aren’t recognised enough.

There is an awful lot of thought being put into ways to engage the public in this anniversary but I don’t know where to put myself when I think of the Rising. So if you’re like me, maybe this project at Richmond Barracks might float your Rising boat: The Commemorative Quilt is a project to honour the 77 women arrested after the Easter Rising. It’s not only about commemorating these women’s involvement in the Rising, but also remembering their lifelong commitments to equality for women and social justice.

“Their struggles have left an often unrecognised legacy that’s been kept alive through the activism of thousands of women across Ireland over the past 100 years,” says Éadaoin Ní Chléirigh, executive chairwoman of Richmond Barracks.

A group of 77 women from all walks of life have been invited to each make a linen panel on the quilt which will represent one of the women of the Rising. They have been designated a woman each and told which garrison she was active with. They must research the lives of these women and with the help of the Yarn School in Goldenbridge create the quilt which will be unveiled as part of the commemoration ceremony for the women of 1916 on March 8th, International Women’s Day.

Looking down the list of 77, I recognise only one name: Countess Markievicz. So it’s surprising to read through the research by the project’s historians Mary McAuliffe and Liz Gillis about all these other women who were deeply involved in Rising.

Living near where she grew up, I can’t help being drawn to the story of May O’Moore for example. She was a member of the Fairview Cumann na mBan who on the Easter Monday was at St Stephen’s Green distributing arms and hand grenades to the rebels stationed around St Stephen’s Green. She retreated with the rest to the College of Surgeons the next day until their surrender when she was taken to Richmond Barracks and later Kilmainham jail.

Like many women involved in the Rising, when pensions were being given out she was given the lowest grade E pension in 1938.

Understandably, she wasn’t a happy former rebel: “In all the years we worked for the cause and went into action willing and ready to give our all and went to jail and came out to carry on the good work . . . the thought of possible award never entered our minds. But now that the country is in a position to give awards I certainly think they aught to be given in a fairer and more generous spirit.”

These women ran safe houses, rustled up food for volunteers, distributed and hid arms and generally risked their lives for the cause at a time when women didn’t even have the right to vote. Rose McNamara was a Cumann na mBan leader and there’s a record of her account of a surrender before being brought to Richmond Barracks: “The women of the garrison could have evaded arrest but they marched down four deep in uniform along with the men. An attempt was made to get them to sign a statement recanting their stand but this failed . . . the men gave each of us their small arms to do as we liked with, thinking we were going to go home, but we were not going to leave the men we were with all the week to their fate; we decided to go along with them and be with them to the end, whatever our fate might be.”

Some of the other 77 names: Louisa “Dolly” O’Sullivan, Annie Cooney, Marcella Cosgrave, Kathleen “Kitty” Fleming, Bridie Kenny, Julia McCauley, Jane “Jenny” Shanahan. And then there is Barbara Retz, about whom there is no information at all.

These women and this commemorative quilt represent the first time a flicker of interest has stirred in me about the 1916 commemorations.

I think I am allowed to say that without being deported. I hope so anyway.

If you have any material relating to the women of 1916, or if you would like more information about the Commemorative Quilt, contact Éadaoin Ní Chléirigh eadaoin@richmondbarracks.ie or Marja Almqvist at theyarnschool@gmail.com

[ richmondbarracks.ie ]

Róisín's book Public Displays of Emotion is available at irishtimes.com/ irishtimesbooks for €14.99