‘One of most inspirational heroes' – bid to honour doc who saved 1916 Rising lives & set up 1st Irish Children Hospital

The Irish Sun

19-05-2025

THE new National Children's Hospital looks set to be named after a leading female doctor who saved lives during the 1916 Rising.
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During the Easter Rising, Lynn was appointed Chief Medical Officer and was the only female commandant involved
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She saved many lives during the 1916 Rising
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The shattered remains of the General Post Office in Sackville Street, Dublin, after the Easter Rising
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An inspirational woman, Lynn joined the Irish Citizen Army and was Chief
But the defining moment of Dr Lynn's medical career was her establishment of the first Irish Children's
The
It's now awaiting a second stage debate, although both the Taoiseach and Minister for Health have responded positively to the idea.
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Here, Emma Mooney takes a look at the life of the pioneering doctor known for saving lives and fighting for social change.
KATHLEEN LYNN was born in 1874 in the coastal town of Killala, Co
Even as a child, she was marked by the shadow of the Great Famine and the stark poverty she witnessed around her — an awareness that would shape her life's work.
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Educated at Alexandra College in
Having studied at the Catholic University of Ireland's school of medicine in Dublin, and the Royal College of Surgeons, Lynn later faced opposition on the grounds of her gender and was refused a position at Adelaide Hospital.
FIRST FEMALE RESIDENT DOCTOR
Instead, Lynn became the first female resident doctor at the Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital, where she worked as a clinical assistant.
But the Mayo woman's life wasn't all medicine.
Lynn was heavily involved in politics from 1903, and was active across feminist, socialist and labour movements.
She served on the executive committee of the Irish Women's Suffrage and Local Government Association for 13 years, and was a member of the
Inspired by socialist activist James Connolly, Lynn supported workers who were fighting to unionise during the 1913 Lockout.
Working alongside revolutionary Constance Markievicz, Lynn offered medical help and fed those worst affected through soup kitchens.
GUN RUNNING
In the same year, Lynn treated political activist Helena Molony at her practice in Rathmines, which inspired her to fight for social change.
She joined the Irish Citizen Army and taught first aid to Cumann na mBan. She also used her own car for gun running prior to the 1916 Rising.
During the Easter Rising, Lynn was appointed Chief Medical Officer and was the only female commandant involved. She was stationed at City Hall, where she treated the wounded, but the post was re-captured by British soldiers on the evening of Easter Monday.
Lynn was taken to Ship Street barracks before being moved to Kilmainham Gaol. Her diaries revealed squalid and inhumane conditions.
She was later sent to
ACTIVE IN POLITICS
But by the end of the summer of 1916, Lynn had returned to Rathmines and firmly established her life in Ireland again.
She stayed active in politics and was voted vice-president of Sinn Fein in 1917. In 1923, she was elected to the
In keeping with Sinn Fein abstention policy at the time, she did not take her seat, and left politics altogether in 1927.
But the defining moment of Lynn's medical career — and possibly her life — was her founding of Saint Ultan's Children's Hospital, the first of its kind in Ireland.
Alongside a group of female activists, she established the Dublin medical facility in 1919 with the aim of helping poor women and children.
FIGHTING TB
It was the first hospital in the country managed entirely by women, and from 1937 became the centre for providing the Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG)
Lynn remained an outspoken voice for downtrodden people throughout the rest of her life, advocating for women and children in particular.
She died on 14 September 1955 at St Mary's Nursing Home in Dublin and was buried in Deansgrange cemetery with a full military funeral to honour her part in the 1916 Rising.
She left her cottage in Glenmalure, Co
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Irish rebels lying in wait on a roof getting ready to fire during the Easter Rising
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Irish republican and socialist leader James Connolly