This new book by authors Eddie Cantwell and Christina Knight - O’Connor- is now on sale at the museum and David Walsh office supplies, Dungarvan and retails for €25. Copies are selling fast, so get yours before it sells out. Congratulations to the authors on a significant work, beautifully printed, the fruit of many years of research.
The early 20th century was a period of
intense, conflicting, contrasting, and political, social views and ideals.
Ideals that were to collide and launch the country from a world war to a
determined campaign for Irish independence and eventually a bitter Civil War.
During this period of unrest, many Waterford women grasped the opportunity to
become actively involved in the fight for a free and United Ireland. Most
people will have some knowledge of the stories behind the revolutionary Dublin
women who were actively involved in this period, but know virtually nothing about
Waterford women. Why is this? Why were these brave women who risked all in the
fight of independence ignored by historians, and, Ignored by the male officers
that they served under? Yes, when they fought for a medal and pensions in the
30s the men did sign their application, and submitted the odd letter outlining
their attributes and their involvement in the fight for freedom. But look at
the statistics; in Waterford more than six hundred women were members of Cumann
na mBan or working as Intelligence officers for their local Volunteer
Battalions. Cumann na mBan or the Women’s Council, was a female Nationalist
Organisation founded, on 2 April 1914. Waterford Cumann na mBan provided safe
houses, took on non-combat roles in sieges, ambushes, and they carried guns to
locations of ambush sites. They found suitable locations to hide guns in
preparation for these ambushes, and were there to remove them after.
They manufactured explosives, in their
own houses! And, of course they served prison sentences. Chrissy Knight-
O’Connor and Eddie Cantwell do not claim to have all the answers of why these
brave revolutionary women were ignored in the passage of time. But they have
set out to at least shine a light, no matter how small, on the sacrifices that
these women made
Their book details the stories,
personal accounts and recollections of many Waterford women including Nora
Foley (née Mulcahy) Abbeyview, Dungarvan. What a significant and historical
role she played when she carried the ceasefire message to Dublin that heralded
the end of the Irish Civil War. On this occasion Miss Fiona Plunkett arrived
from Dublin to Nora’s home and she escorted her to an executive meeting in the
Nire. Miss Plunkett was a leading member of the Cumann na mBan Executive and
sister of Jack, George, and Joseph Plunkett. All three brothers took part in
the Easter Rising. People will be more familiar with Joseph, who was executed
for his part in the Rising and as a signatory of the Proclamation following the surrender. Seven hours before his execution
by firing squad at the age of 28, he was married in the prison chapel
to his sweetheart Grace Gifford
who was a Protestant convert to Catholicism. Her
sister, Muriel, had married his best friend Thomas MacDonagh, who was also
executed for his role in the Easter Rising. Grace never married
again
Nora tells us. ‘I
conduced Miss Fiona Plunkett to the Nire from Dungarvan to an executive
meeting, where we both waited through the night in the kitchen of the cottage,
where the meeting was being held. At the termination of the meeting a dispatch
was brought out to us, and we were instructed to carry same to Dublin. As far
as I can remember this dispatch was the ‘Dump arms and ceasefire order’. Miss
Plunkett carried the dispatch as far as Waterford City, because in the
Waterford area I might be recognised and searched. In Waterford she handed the
dispatch to me, and I carried it to Dublin unaccompanied. Acting on Miss
Plunkett’s instruction, I met her in Dublin and delivered it to her. Still
acting on her instruction I called to An Stad restaurant and handed a dispatch,
which I took to Tipperary having to remain there until a special messenger was
sent to collect it.
‘An Stad’ 30 North Frederick Street, Irish for
the ‘The Stop’ was a well-known meeting place for Nationalists and people who
wished for the revival of the Irish Language and culture from the late 19th
century. During the Civil War its proprietor Mollie Gleeson took the
anti-Treaty side, and it was used as an underground command centre for the IRA
and Cumann na mBan.
To
read more about Nora and many more Waterford women copies of Waterford Women of
the Revolution 1914-1923 are available at Waterford Book Centre, David Walsh’s,
Lower Main Street, Dungarvan, Lismore Heritage Centre and Waterford County
Museum, 05845960 or history@waterfordmuseum.ie https://www.waterfordmuseum.ie/revolution/
Funded by the Department of Tourism,
Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media under the Decade of Centenaries -
History Ireland 2012-2023 initiatives and Waterford City and County Council
Commemorations Committee.