Sir, – While I commend Sineéad Guckian's artistic take on nurse Elizabeth O'Farrell's role in Patrick Pearse's surrender to Brigadier William Lowe, it is rather a pity that the two appear to be standing like abject students before the school principal.
This is not borne out by the original photo or the written records. O’Farrell was utterly brave in putting her life on the line, walking twice with a white flag on behalf of Pearse towards the British barricades in Moore Street. Later on she was tasked with travelling across Dublin to Volunteer outposts with surrender orders.
Lowe was courteous to Pearse and O’Farrell.
The original photo clearly shows that the two men were having a civil conversation, as recorded by Capt de Courcy-Wheeler, the junior officer present at the surrender. – Yours, etc,
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PATRICK JUDGE,
Dún Laoghaire ,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – Were nurse Elizabeth O’Farrell’s legs and skirt airbrushed out of some pictures because of anti-woman bias or to avoid the impression that Pearse had four legs and wore a petticoat? I suspect it was the latter as O’Farrell’s decision, according to her own account, to step behind Pearse when she realised a photograph was about to be taken not only wrote her out of the event but also ruined the composition of the historic picture. – Yours, etc,
EAMONN MURDOCK,
Churchtown,
Dublin 14.
Sir, – Surely a painting of the British troops’ last march out of Dublin Castle would be much more fitting. – Yours, etc,
JOHN DEVLIN,
Dublin 2 .