A fascinating exhibition on the women who fought for Irish independence has just been launched in Castlebar Library. The exhibition, highlights as it says “What did the women do?” through the stories of Cumann na mBan and the role of women in the cultural, literary, and ultimately political revival of the decade from 1912 to 1922.
It tells the story of Mayo’s Kathleen Lynn, one of the most senior officers in the 1916 Rising and Nurse Elizabeth O'Farrell the women who delivered the 1916 surrender with Pearse, and shows how the formation of Cumann na mBan was a vital step in the empowerment of women.
Speaking at the launch, Michael Holmes, Cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council, said: "I am delighted to be here to launch this important exhibition on the women of the Rising who have too often been forgotten in the past. I would like to commend the Jackie Clarke Collection and Mayo County Library for producing this work of scholarship. It is impossible not to be inspired by the leadership and the determination of these women." The exhibition runs until April 22.
