belfast women master:Layout 1 27/06/2017 13:47 Page 1 The Women of Belfast Cumann na mBan Easter Week and After Margaret Ward belfast women master:Layout 1 27/06/2017 13:48 Page 2 belfast women master:Layout 1 27/06/2017 13:48 Page 3 The Women of Belfast Cumann na mBan Easter Week and After Margaret Ward CONTENTS Introduction 3 The formation of Cumann na mBan 4 Cumann na mBan members 5 Belfast Cumann na mBan organises 8 Belfast and arms training 10 Belfast activities before Easter Week 11 Belfast Cumann na mBan and Easter Week 13 Belfast Cumann na mBan after the Rising 17 Winifred Carney and the 1918 Election 20 Belfast and the War of Independence 22 1 belfast women master:Layout 1 27/06/2017 13:48 Page 4 2 belfast women master:Layout 1 27/06/2017 13:48 Page 5 The Women of Belfast Cumann na mBan Easter Week and After Introduction The Easter Rising, not only in Dublin but in Galway, Wexford and the north of the country, could not have taken place without the contribution of women from Cumann na mBan and the Irish Citizen Army. As the archives have opened up, the numbers of women calculated to have taken part has risen to about 260 women, around 30 of whom were members of the Irish Citizen Army. Prior to the Rising, the women of Belfast Cumann na mBan played a very active role in preparations, its members enthusiastically participating in training, collecting funds, First Aid, and any other activities required of them. However, because an uprising in the north was regarded as impossible, given the political divisions that existed, the story of the contribution made by northern women to Easter Week is little known. Six of the Belfast Cumann na mBan members travelled to Dublin on the eve of the Rising while another served in the GPO throughout Easter Week. This account is an attempt to uncover a mostly hidden history and to pay tribute to their courage and self- sacrifice using, where possible, their own words, long buried in the archives. 3 belfast women master:Layout 1 27/06/2017 13:48 Page 6 The formation of Cumann na mBan In 1912, in response to the prospect of months before what was first called ʻThe Irish Ireland finally gaining Home Rule from Womenʼs Councilʼ was formed. The Irish Britain, Ulster Unionists, led by Sir Edward version of its name, Cumann na mBan, was Carson, began to organise their resistance. adopted shortly afterwards. Nancy Wyse On 13 December 1912 the Ulster Volunteer Power, whose mother Jennie became its first Force came into existence, determined to president, stated that ʻThe promoters may oppose Home Rule by armed opposition. In have had in mind an auxiliary association of response, Irish nationalists decided that the women acting under the general instructions time had come to form their own of the Volunteer Executive but the organisation; one that would, if necessary, organisation immediately declared itself to be use physical force for the defence of Ireland. an independent organisation of women On 25 November 1913, the Irish Volunteers determined to make its own decisions.ʼ held their first meeting at the Rotunda in Dublin. While some women attended that The inaugural meeting of Cumann na mBan meeting, sitting in a section of the hall set was held in Dublin at Wynnʼs Hotel on 2 April aside for them, the organisation was all-male 1914. Two women from the north attended and speakers at the meeting said only that that historic event. They were Winifred there would be work for women to do. No one Carney and possibly Ina Connolly. The knew in what capacity or whether women Constitution of Cumann na mBan declared would have an organisation to join. itsaimstobe: The suffrage paper, Irish Citizen, reported • To advance the cause of Irish liberty that some women were refusing to work in a • To organise Irishwomen in furtherance subsidiary capacity and had decided to form of the object a volunteer corps of their own, with their own • To assist in arming and equipping a aims. There was much discussion regarding body of Irishmen for the defence of whether or not the women would be Ireland independent from the men, with their own • To form a fund for these purposes to be aims and objectives. It was another five called ʻThe Defence of Ireland Fundʼ 4 belfast women master:Layout 1 27/06/2017 13:48 Page 7 The Women of Belfast Cumann na mBan Easter Week and After Cumann na mBan members Women active in the nationalist movement in worked in a strongly Unionist area. In her the north came from all over Ireland, which account of those times she recalled the in pre-partition times saw much movement of hostile reaction from local people when she people around the country. Some of the bravely made her nationalist views plain in a most active of the Belfast Cumann na mBan letter to the Newtownards Chronicle in in those early years came not only from February 1912. Later on, when she made a Belfast but from counties Tyrone, Dublin and ʻstirring speechʼ at a public meeting in Wexford. There were about thirty members. Galway in 1914 that was reported in the Many were young women, educated, and papers, she found that the Principal of the working in a variety of occupations. Some Technical School and his wife refused to were teachers, one of the main professions speak to her and her landlady was put under open to women at that time. We donʼt know pressure to force her to leave the house. a great deal about all of the women, but During the Rising Elizabeth was in those whose lives are known were Newtownards, trying to hide her feelings independent young women, enthusiastic for when news of the executions was reported in the future and unwilling to simply play a more the press. Although her teaching work went traditional female role. on as usual, when the term ended in June she received ʻa notice of dismissal for which One of Cumann na mBanʼs founders and no reason was given.ʼ She then left the amongst its first executive members was north, was appointed to a teaching post in Elizabeth Bloxham, who came from a County Meath and continued to organise for Protestant family in County Mayo. She was Cumann na mBan. living in the north, working in Newtownards as a domestic economy instructor from 1911 Una (sometimes known as Agnes) Ryan who to 1916, giving up her holiday time to travel came from a large nationalist family in round Ireland, speaking in public and County Wexford, had four sisters also in encouraging women to join Cumann na Cumann na mBan. She was a teacher in the mBan. As she had often spoken at Dominican College, Falls Road. Roisin suffragette meetings she was chosen by Walsh from County Tyrone and Kathleen Jennie Wyse Power as an organiser because Phelan of Dublin taught in St Maryʼs College. she was one of the few women at that time to Two of the daughters of James Connolly, have experience of public speaking. who was then working in Belfast as organiser However, Elizabeth did not speak at for the Irish Transport and General Workersʼ meetings in the north, as that would have Union – Nora and Ina - were prominent created difficulties, given that she lived and members. Other members were all Belfast 5 belfast women master:Layout 1 27/06/2017 13:48 Page 8 women: Sara Serridge and Miss Kerr already joined the Volunteers and he told his (teachers), Eilis Allen (also known as Lizzie), sisters of the plans that were being made for Siobel Brennan, Bridie OʼFarrell, Kathleen the funeral of the Fenian OʼDonovan Rossa Murphy, Teresa McDevitt, Mary Russell, Kitty in Dublin. The sisters ʻjumped at the chanceʼ Stewart, Brigid and Lena MacCamphill, Una to be away from the ʻloyalʼ atmosphere of McCrudden, Nora Kelly, Mary McNabb, Belfast and had what turned out to be an Annie Ward, Elizabeth and Nell Corr and ʻexhilaratingʼ and inspiring experience, May Wisely from the Ravenhill Road, seeing for the first time the Irish tricolour on daughter of a spirit merchant and a school display and thrilled by the spectacle of the friend of Elizabeth Corr. The best known of vast procession of marchers. Elizabeth, in the members was Winifred Carney, born in other memoirs, recalled her friend Sheila Bangor, then living in Carlisle Circus in north accompanying her to Dublin; it was Sheila Belfast. She was a trained secretary who had who persuaded her to join Cumann na chosen to work for a low wage as an mBan. She was, she said ʻvery gladʼ that her organiser with the mill workers in the Irish friend had done so. Joining Cumann na Textile Workersʼ Union, set up by Connolly in mBan and the Gaelic League later that year 1911. Winifred also typed up all Connollyʼs meant, said Elizabeth, ʻa complete change in writings, and was someone in whom he had my life and the severing of many ties of total confidence. friendshipʼ but she was very happy in the ʻcongenial atmosphereʼ of Cumann na mBan. Elizabeth Corr and her older sister Nell joined in October 1915. Elizabeth was a clerical Roisin Walsh, from a farming family in assistant working in the Central Library in Clogher, had a language degree from UCD Belfast and the sisters came from a and a higher diploma in education from comfortably off family living on the Ormeau Cambridge.