Founded on April 2, 1914, Cumann na mBan—meaning "The Women's Council"—was established to support the cause of Irish independence and serve alongside the Óglaigh na hÉireann (Irish Volunteers). Far more than a support organization, Cumann na mBan became an armed republican movement whose members trained, organized, and, when called upon, fought alongside their male counterparts during the 1916 Easter Rising.
 

The organization welcomed both single and married women from a variety of religious backgrounds and professions. Its members included teachers, nurses, doctors, actresses, shop assistants, seamstresses, typists, and homemakers—women united by a common belief that Ireland should govern itself.
 

Contrary to the long-held stereotype that women merely provided refreshments or nursing care, the members of Cumann na mBan received training in first aid, military drill, signaling, scouting, map reading, and marksmanship. They gathered intelligence, carried dispatches through active combat zones, transported arms and ammunition between hidden caches and rebel positions, established field hospitals, and, when necessary, fought with rifles and revolvers.
 

When the Easter Rising began on Easter Monday, April 24, 1916, approximately 40 members of Cumann na mBan, including Winifred Carney, entered the General Post Office (GPO) alongside the leaders of the rebellion. Carney famously arrived carrying both a Webley revolver and a typewriter—symbols of the dual roles women fulfilled as both soldiers and administrators. By the end of the first day, women were serving in nearly every major rebel garrison throughout Dublin. One notable exception was Boland's Mill, where Commandant Éamon de Valera refused orders from Pádraig Pearse and James Connolly to admit women volunteers into the garrison.
 

As the Rising drew to its conclusion, Elizabeth O'Farrell, a Cumann na mBan member and trained midwife, was chosen by Pádraig Pearse to carry the official surrender order to British commanders and then to the remaining Irish garrisons throughout Dublin. Her courageous mission helped bring an end to the fighting and undoubtedly saved countless lives. Although history long overlooked her contribution—even cropping her from the famous surrender photograph—she is now recognized as one of the pivotal figures of the Rising.
 

Following the surrender, British authorities arrested more than 70 women, many of them leading members of Cumann na mBan. Those captured were imprisoned in Kilmainham Gaol and other detention centers before most were released within weeks. Rather than discouraging the movement, the imprisonment of these women strengthened public support for Irish independence and inspired many others to join the cause.
 

The women of Cumann na mBan demonstrated extraordinary courage, discipline, and patriotism. They proved that the fight for Irish freedom belonged not only to the men who carried rifles into battle, but also to the women who organized, fought, healed, led, and sacrificed beside them. Their service during the Easter Rising challenged traditional expectations of women's roles and secured their place among the heroes of Ireland's struggle for independence.
 

Today, the legacy of Cumann na mBan stands as a testament to the bravery, resilience, and unwavering commitment of the women who helped shape the future of a nation.