While reference is frequently made to the men of 1916 the women are often forgotten. Approximately 100 women were involved. The purpose of this cache is acknowledge the contribution of these women and also of course to provide a pleasant walk around the city centre.
Many of the women were involved in the Irish Labour movement. They were fighting not just for independence from Britain but for equal rights for women. Most had also been involved in the 1913 lockout.
Margaret Skinnider travelled from Glasgow to become involved after hearing that the Republican proclamation promised equal status for women. She took part in a number of operations to obtain arms and explosives. She joined the Irish Citizens Army as a dispatch rider and was a scout for the St Stephens Green/College of Surgeons garrison. She was involved also in the War of Independence and Civil War. She later became a teacher and a strong member of the teachers union eventually becoming President of the INTO.
Dr Kathleen Lynn was a member of the Irish Citizens Army. She was the medical officer in City Hall in 1916. Following the rising she spent several years involved in Irish politics and eventually went on to cofound St Ultans Infants Hospital and work to provide immunisations for babies.
Countess Markievicz – second in command at St Stephen’s Green /College of Surgeons Garrisson. She was an active member of the Irish Citizens Army. She was Minister for Labour in the first Irish Dáil (government) from 1919-1921 but spent much of this time in jail.
Helena Molony – fought in the City Hall Garrison. From 1917 she was an organiser of the Irish Women Workers’ Union. She remained involved in the labour movement until the 1960s.
Winnie Carney – fought in the GPO. Also involved in Unions. She was a nationalist and a socialist.
Rosie Hackett . She was a member of the Irish Citizens army and was actively involved in preparations for the rising including the printing of the proclamation. She fought with the Stephens Green garrison. She remained actively involved in Unions until her death in 1976. In 2014 a bridge over the Liffey was named in her honour.
Elizabeth O’Farrell – she was in the GPO during the rising and was sent by Padraig Pearse to deliver the surrender.
Time to start walking. The total walk is about 5km. This is reflected in the difficulty rating.
Stage 1 College of Surgeons
Several women were involved here including Countess Markievicz, Rosie Hackett and Margaret Skinnider.Note the many bullet marks on the columns
Looking over the front door. What is the surname of the maker of the clock. A = no. of letters in name
Stage 2 City Hall
Go up the few steps to read the plaque on the wall commemorating those who fought in this area in 1916. There are several women named including Kathleen Lynn and Helena Molony. How many letters are in the first name of the first woman mentioned (top left hand side of list).
B = No. of letters in first name
Stage 3 Townsend Street
.Look at photo below.
It was taken in 1916 from around the spot you’re standing. In the photo you can see a barricade which has been erected to close off the street and slow down the British army. There is a woman on the barricade. The railway bridge in the distance is still there. Also observe the building with scaffolding on it, it looks like it was just being built then. It’s still there but is derelict now. The building on the left is now gone, it was a hospital. Now standing in that area is a statue of one of the best known women of the 1916 rising – Countess Markievicz. She’s looking across the road to the fire station.
C = How many large doors are there for the fire engines to use?
Stage 4 City Quay
Coordinates will bring you to a large granite stone commemorating one of the women of 1916 who was born nearby (house no longer standing). What was the number of the house in which she was born? (Use the answer on the plaque, Wikipedia has a different number!!)
D = House number
Stage 5 Rosie Hackett Bridge
Coordinates bring you to the middle of this bridge. The first bridge in Dublin to be named after a woman. Walk across the bridge towards Eden Quay. On the wall of the building on the corner of Eden Quay and Marlborough Street there is a plaque from a shipping company. In what year was this company incorporated?
E & F= Last two numbers of year - 18EF
Stage 6 GPO
The main centre of the Rising, women here included Elizabeth O’Farrell and Winnie Carney.
Stand under the canopy of the GPO and look up. On the main wall of the building there are some large circular shapes painted blue.
G = No. of blue circles
Stage 7 Clerys/Imperial Hotel garrison.
Martha Walsh fought here.
Unfortunately Clerys department store closed recently. The building is not the original, it had to be completely rebuilt after the 1916 rising. At the time of the Rising Clerys just occupied the ground floor. Above it was the Imperial Hotel. Look at the top of the window level on the ground floor – how many large oval plaques can you see? Count only the ones on O’Connell Street, not around the corner on Sackville Place.
H = No. of oval plaques
Stage 8 Foley Street
Foley Street – worthy of a visit to see the plaque but probably best avoided after dark.
Standing at the coordinates you should be able to see a plaque commemorating women who were members of the Irish Citizen Army and who were involved in 1916.
J = Number of letters in the middle word of the second line?
(GPS extremely jumpy here, no need to go into the park, plaque can be seen from street on wall opposite park).
So you’ve completed all the stages now. Time to sit down and do some sums.
Final:
N 53 21. (B-A-E)(D – H-J) W006 1C. (F*3)(G*3)B
Congratulations to Silver Soldier for FTF
