The Irish standard., 1916-06-17
IRISH women
SHOW BRAVERY
Many Acted az snipers, Relieving
Worn-o Out voiunteers-Great Feeling
Of Patriotism InstiIIed.
Young Girl Carries Message Between
Irish Leaders-Escapes In Rain Of
6ullets-lnstanee Typical of Irish
Ns'fTi
Women.

(Fr0m the Irish Daily Telegraph)
The Central News has received from
q lady who acted as Red Cross nurse
the following graphic story of the part
played by women in the recent revolt
In Dublin:
"The Irish rebellion is remarkable
for one fact not so far recognized in
England, namely, the very prominent
part taken in it by Irish women and
girls.
ION Easter Sunday, which was the
day first appointed for the Irish Vol
unteer maneuvers, and for which all
the men were mobilized, the women in
the movement were also modified and
ordered to bring rations for certain
period. It was only at the last mo-
ment and for sufficiently dramatic rea-
sons, that the mobilization of both
men and women was cancelled. These
Irish women, who did their work with
q cool and reckless courage unsur-
passed by any man, were in the firing
line from the first to the last day of
the rebellion. They were women of all
ranks, from titled ladies to shop as
sistants, and they worked on terms
of easy equality, caring nothing, appar-
entity, but for the success of the move
ment.
MANY of the women were snipers,
and both in the Post Office and in the
Imperial Hotel the present writer, who
was a Red Cross nurse, saw women
on guard with rifles, relieving worm
out Volunteers. 'Cumann nam Ban
girls did practically all the dispatch
carrying, some of them were killed,
but none of them returned unsuccess-
full. That was point of honor with
them-to succeed or be killed. On
one occasion in O'Connell street,
heard a Volunteer captain call for
volunteers to take a dispatch to Com
mandant' James Connolly, under heavy
machine-gun fire. Every man and wo-
man present sprang forward, and he
chose young Dublin woman, we'll
known writer, whose relations hold
big Crown appointments, and whom l
had last seen dancing with an aide-de-
camp at famous Dublin ball.
In a Rain Of Bullets.
"This girl had taken an extraordi-
narily daring part in the insurrection.
She shook hands now with her COM
mander, and stepped coolly out amid
a perfect cross-rain of bullets from
Trinity College and from the Rotunda
side Of O'Connell street. She reached
the Post Office in safety, and saw
Count Plunkett's son, who was the Of
f1cer on guard, and who has since been
shot, come to the front door Of the
Post Office and wish her good luck
as he shook hands with her before she
made her reckless dash to take Con-
nolly's dispatch back to her own head
quarters.
"This was only one instance, but
typical Of a hundred that saw Of the
part played by women during the
fighting week. They did Red Cross
work. saw them going out under the
deadliest fire to bring in wounded Vol.
unteers-they cooked, catered and
brought in supplies; they took food to
men under fire at barricades; they
visited every Volunteers home to tell
his people of his progress. I never
imagined that such an organization OF
determined fighting women could exist
in the British Isles. These women
could throw hand grenades, they un
derstood the use of bombs; in fact
they seemed to understand as much OF
the business of warfare as their men
"Sixty girls were released from Kill
mainham Prison a few days ago, but
others are still imprisoned, and arrests
are yet taking place."
IRISH SERGEANT