A white flag and a Red Cross insignia were the tools Elizabeth O'Farrell carried into heavy gunfire on Moore Street at 12:45 pm on Saturday, April 1916. Tasked by Patrick Pearse to deliver the unconditional surrender of Irish forces to Brigadier-General William Lowe, she acted as the primary intermediary during the final hours of the Easter Rising.
Early Life and Political Formation
Born on 5 November 1883 in City Quay, Dublin, O'Farrell was the daughter of Christopher O'Farrell and Margaret Kenneah. Following her father's death, she worked at Armstrong's printers to support her family. Her early social and political life was shaped by membership in the Gaelic League, Inghinidhe na hÉireann, and the Cumann na mBan, the women's auxiliary of the Irish Volunteers.
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O'Farrell served as a dispatcher, moving supplies and intelligence across Dublin to various rebel outposts, including Boland's Mill and the Four Courts. She and her lifelong companion, Julia Grenan, remained with troops in Moore Street when other women were evacuated. After facilitating the surrender, she accompanied Pearse to meet General Lowe and delivered orders to multiple rebel units. Despite receiving assurances of safety, she was briefly detained at Dublin Castle and Ship Street Barracks before being released.
Medical Career and Later Years
Following the conflict, O'Farrell trained as a midwife at the National Maternity Hospital on Holles Street from 1920 to 1921, eventually building a career there as a nurse. In later life, she remained politically active, fundraising for republican prisoners and speaking on behalf of the movement. She refused to participate in the government's Bureau of Military History project, citing perceived betrayals of the Republic.
Legacy and Historical Representation
O'Farrell died on 25 June 1957 in Bray, County Wicklow, and is buried at Glasnevin Cemetery. While a well-known 1916 photograph shows her feet near Pearse and General Lowe, her body was airbrushed from later prints, leading to enduring claims of her being erased from the historical record. Commemorations include the Elizabeth O'Farrell Foundation, a commemorative award at Holles Street Hospital, and a park in Dublin named in her honor.
Fast facts
- Born: 5 November 1883, Dublin
- Died: 25 June 1957, Bray
- Occupation: Midwife and nurse
- Primary affiliation: Cumann na mBan
- Education: Sisters of Mercy
- Burial site: Glasnevin Cemetery
- Training site: National Maternity Hospital
Questions readers ask
Was Elizabeth O'Farrell removed from historical records?
Her role was documented in 20th-century history books, though her image was airbrushed out of a famous photograph of the 1916 surrender.
What was her relationship with Julia Grenan?
They were lifelong friends and companions who lived together for 30 years and are buried beside each other in the republican plot at Glasnevin.
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