Speech by Sabina Higgins at the official opening of the Elizabeth O’Farrell House
North Cumberland Street, Dublin 2, 24th November, 2016
Good evening Minister, Friends
I am delighted to be here this evening to open the Elizabeth O’Farrell House, which, in invites us to once again reflect on the women who fought alongside the men of 1916. May I thank Niall Harrington for the kind invitation to be with you this evening. I feel very proud and privileged to have the honour of being invited to officially open this the Elizabeth O’Farrell House. I thank all of you for your very warm welcome to this beautiful building.
This year has been a great occasion for us to look back on the contribution that the Women of Ireland played, in the 1916 Rising, and to give them their rightful place in history, our history!
This evening, however, we honour Elizabeth O’Farrell who played such a central role in the Easter Week Rising which is the foundational event in our achieving our Independence, and who for so long was ‘airbrushed out of history’ at that historical moment when she accompanied Patrick Pearse at the Surrender to General Lowe.
Elizabeth born at 33 City Quay, Dublin began working in Armstrong’s, a printer’s in Amien’s Street, Dublin at a very young age when her father died suddenly. She later worked as a mid-wife in Holles Street Hospital. In 1906 she joined Inghinidhe na hEireann led by Maud Gonne. She was also involved with the Irish Citizen Army which was founded at the height of the Dublin Lockout of 1913 by James Connolly, James Larkin and Jack White. Elizabeth worked along-side the great revolutionaries Countess Constance Markievicz, Dr. Kathleen Lynn, Rosie Hackett, Delia Larkin, Helena Moloney and her lifelong friend Julia Grenan, during the Lock Out of 1913 when, the workers were locked out by William Martin Murphy and the 400 employers for 6 months. The men’s families were starving and the women organised the soup kitchens at Liberty Hall to feed the workers families. The Irish Citizen Army admitted women on equal terms as men.
Elizabeth like, Connolly and Markievicz and the Irish Citizens Army joined with Pearse and the Volunteers in the Insurrection. The women of Cumann na mBan and the Irish Citizens Army were ‘OUT’ as it is termed in the Rising. They were activists and combatants like their male counterparts. They acted as dispatcher carriers before and during the rising, delivering bulletins and instructions to the rebel outposts around Dublin and in the Country.
Elizabeth including Winifred Carney and her lifelong friend and fellow nurse Julia Grenan remained in the GPO until the end of the Rising.
Elizabeth O’Farrells account of events are lodged in the archives
I think it is right that we should recount some of her recollections
On Thursday afternoon when it became evident that the GPO could not be much longer held the members of Cumann na mBan with 3 exceptions left the GPO on Pearse’s orders – they were Winifred Carney, Connolly’s Secretary and Elizabeth O’Farrell and Julia Grenan.
At 8 o’clock Friday evening the building was entirely in flames and they all retreated from the GPO under heavy fire, hoping to cut their way to join with Comdt. Daly at the Four Courts. However, a ring of barricades had been set up all around the city. They left by a side door in Henry Street and made a dash amind a hale of bullets.
They barricaded themselves into a house in Moore Street. There were 17 wounded in the retreat and Connolly was already badly wounded but they procured beds and Elizabeth and Julia spent the night helping to nurse them while the men burrowed through the night from house to house up towards the top of Moore Street. In the morning she helped cook breakfast after which Connolly and the other wounded where carried through the holes and all moved to 16 Moore Street.
The members of the Provisional Government – Patrick Pearse, James Connolly, Joseph Plunket, Thomas Clarke and Sean McDermott held a Council of War. When Pearse saw civilians who, though carrying white flags were shot dead, he decided they should discuss a peace treaty to save further lives being lost. Sean McDermott asked Elizabeth to provide a white flag and she left 15-16 Moore St carrying the small white flag and red cross on the front of her apron and with a verbal message from Pearse to the Commander of the British Forces that he wished to treat with them.
She was brought through the barricades to an officer who was ordered that the Red Cross be taken off her and she be brought and searched as she was a spy.
They cut off the Red Cross from her arm and from her apron and brought her to the hall of the National Bank on the corner of Parnell Street and Cavendish Row and had her searched, found nothing more than two pairs of scissors and some sweets, then she was brought to Thomas Clarke shop, as she said of all places as a prisoner.
Brigadier Lowe came to her then and she gave him her message. He told her to tell Pearse “That Gen. Low would not treat at all until Pearse had surrendered unconditionally and that she must be back in half an hour.
She went back to 16 Moore Street – on her way she saw the dead body of the O’Rahilly lying about 4 yards up the Sackville Lane – his feet against the steps of the first door on the right and his head out on the curb stone.
She gave the message to Pearse who discussed it with the Council and Elizabeth was sent back with a written message to Lowe – who then told her to go back and tell Mr. Pearse that he would not treat at all unless he surrendered unconditionally and that Mr. Connolly follows on a stretcher.
He told her then that unless Pearse and she were back in half an hour he would begin hostilities again. She brought back the message to Moore Street and there, after a short council it was decided that should accompany her back to General Lowe.
General Lowe received Patrick Pearse and Elizabeth at the top of Moore Street and Pearse Surrendered and handed up his sword to General Lowe. Lowe said “the only condition I make is that I will allow the other commandants to surrender” Lowe then suggested that Elizabeth should be detained for the night in order to take around Pearse’s order for surrender to the other Commandants – he promised that she would then be set free and get a safe convey pass.
Pearse turned to Elizabeth and said: "Will you agree to this?" and she said: "Yes. If you wish it." And he said: “I do wish it." Pearse then shook hands with Elizabeth, but she says, spoke no word.
After this Patrick Pearse was taken away in a motor car, down O'Connell Street (Sackville Street), accompanied by Gen. Lowe's son and another officer. He was preceded in another car by
Gen. Lowe and Capt. Wheeler. She says “I saw him no more.”
Gen. Lowe shortly returned with Pearse's written order for the other Commandants to surrender, and five or six typewritten copies; one of these was signed by Com. James Connolly for his own men in the G.P.O. area and in Stephen's Green.
Elizabeth first brought the Order to Moore Street for them to go round by the Pillar to the right hand side of Sackville Street and marching up to the military at the Parnell Statue, halt, advance five paces and lay down their arms.
She next brought the Order to Comdt. Daly at the Four Courts and had great difficulty as she kept being stopped by Officers on the way – one officer would not let her past on any condition and she had to return to Moore Street and get an officer to accompany her to the barricade at Little Mary Street where he left her. Then carrying her white flag she met Fr. Columbus of Church Street who accompanied her and they eventually made it to Comdt. Daly. He was, she said strongly entrenched. “I gave him the order and told him of the Headquarters surrender.
He was very much cut up about it but accepted his orders as a soldier should.”
She returned the same way to Sackville Street. She saw the Republican troops from the Four Courts marched up from Sackville Street to lay down their arms. Then the troops marched up Moore Street and lined up.
Lieut. Ryall took her to the National Bank and procured a bedroom for her at the top of the house, which she wrote, she found comfortable and slept well. At 6 in the morning she looked out and saw about 300 or 400 volunteers and Julia Grenan and Miss Carney lying on a little plot of grass at Parnell Street in front of the Rotunda Hospital where they had spent the night in the cold and damp. All their arms and ammunition were piled up at the foot of the Parnell Statue.
She was then told that she was wanted by Capt. Wheeler to take round the surrender order to the other Commandants. She describes what seems like a terrifying journey back and forward across the city carry a white flag and being under fire and in grave danger as she pursues unwaveringly her task of reaching the other Comdts.
She describes reaching Comdt. Mallin and Countess Markievicz at the College of Surgeons. The nightmare journey trying to locate deValera at Boland’s Mill in the Mount Street area going to Westland Row, Holles Street, Merrion Square, Ringsend, Brunswick Street etc. to the Gasworks.
At the Gasworks she tried to get in but failed, at the Old Distillery she tried again and failed. Then she met some volunteers who told her she would find deValera at the Grand Canal Street Dispensary.
She says – crossing the Grand Canal Street Bridge the firing was terrifying and a man crossing the bridge about half a yard behind her was shot.
Eventually she was lifted in through a small window and deValera came to her, but then he said ‘I will not take any orders except from my immediate superior officer Commandant MacDonagh’. So she remarks after finding him she had to go off again - back through the city.
Eventually she got through the firing line to Comdt. MacDonagh at Jacobs Factory.
Comdt. Thomas MacDonagh said he would have nothing to say regarding the Surrender until he spoke to General Lowe and to members of the Provisional government already prisoners.
This meeting with Lowe is arranged. MacDonagh then consults with Comdt. Eamonn Ceannt and eventually he returns to Jacobs Factory. He called the officers together who, like him, were very much against surrendering but he explains that after consultation they think it is the best thing to do.
As she continues with her account she records how she is imprisoned in spite of General Lowes word to her.
How the money some of the Volunteers entrusted to her to bring to their mothers is take from her by an Officer during the night while she sleeps.
How the Provost Marshal withholds the money from her and
How she is ignored and not listened to as she protests at all stages that General Lowe had given his word that she would not be imprisoned.
Eventually she tells the Officers that when she is freed “she will publish to the ends of the Earth how General Lowe kept his words.”
She is imprisoned, and held in Ship Street Barracks, in Richmond Barracks and in Kilmainham. Before they leave Richmond for Kilmainham she saw Fr. Columbus, who had come with her to Comdt. Daly in the Four Courts, come out of a building. She called him and told him how she had been made a prisoner. He told her he would go to General Lowe.
Following this she is brought to Dublin Castle where General Lowe comes to see her.
She has a lovely account of her interview with General Lowe.
General Lowe also said: “I hear you have been accusing me of breaking my faith.”
I said: “Yes, I have.”
General Lowe: “Well, I’m determined my honour shall be upheld.”
I protested that I had been put to the humiliation of being stripped and searched while I was in the position of a “guest.”
General Lowe apologised again, and vowed it was mistake. He then said he would give me a letter, and that I would not have any further trouble with the military. He also offered to bring me home in the car, but this offer I declined.
He went out, and after a short time came back with the letter, accompanied by the officer who had taken away my clothes and money. General Lowe then bade me goodbye, and was going off when I asked: “What about the money that was taken from me this morning?”
“What money” said he.
“There was over £16 taken out of my pocket here.”
General Lowe: “Who took the money?”
Officer: “The Provost Marshal has it.”
General Lowe: “Go and get it immediately and restore it to this lady.”
The officer came back with the money and gave it to me. I thanked General Lowe and he went away. The Matron of the Castle Hospital accompanied me down to the Castle gate in Dame Street, and I left Dublin Castle.
Thus finished my activities in connection with the Surrender.
From her account we can gather that she was a powerful, courageous and committed woman dedicated to the cause of Irish Freedom.
She was brave, fearless and had unwavering loyalty to her fellow insurgents. She had such a sense of her rights and her dignity, she wold not be intimidated.
We can but admire her and thank her and rejoice that she is being honoured by this building being named after her.
We wish that as a Centre concerned with medical matters that it will show the love, care and compassion that she as a nurse and a fighter for the vision she shared with the Signatories of the 1916 Proclamation would wish.
It is my hope that, drawing from the endurance and the vision of the Women of 1916, whose stories we now are coming to know, that we will be inspired, and that their example will fire with enthusiasm us women of 2016 to meet the challenges of our time.
We can be grateful to Holles Street hospital for their work in honouring the memory of Elizabeth O’Farrells. In 1967, the Nurse Elizabeth O’Farrell Foundation was established, resulting in the unveiling of a memorial plaque in Holles Street Hospital and a foundation to support postgraduate studies in the field of nursing. I am delighted that Holles Street Hospital has an annual ‘Elizabeth O’Farrell’ commemorative award, a silver medal for the student midwife who achieves academic excellence in her final examination for qualification as a midwife.
May I say, once again, what a great pleasure it is for me to open this the Elizabeth O’Farrell House. I am truly delighted and honoured to have had this occasion to acknowledge the courageous work Elizabeth carried out on behalf of the people of Ireland. I have no doubt that her name will live on into the future.
It gives me great pleasure to officially open this Medical Centre Elizabeth O’Farrell House.
