Inghinidhe na h-Éireann
Founded on Easter Sunday in 1900, the Inghinidhe na h-Éireann, or Daughters of Ireland, was led by Maud Gonne from 1900 until 1914 when it eventually melded with Cumann na mBan. These women were committed to the militant needs for the struggle of Irish freedom from the hand of British rule. Inghinidhe na h-Éireann aimed to also popularize the manufactured Irish goods (rather than British imports), revive the Gaelic language, as well as restore Irish customs, games, and dancing. Inghinidhe na h-Éireann was the first attempt by nationalist women to organize themselves for the purpose to support the republican cause. Until this time, women were continually excluded from existing nationalist organizations. When these women were brought together, they probably never expected the experiences that they had for the next twenty or more years.
Maud Gonne was the most famous member to be known among the Inghinidhe na h-Éireann. She was an outstanding political figure at the time as well as an actress and muse of William Butler Yeats. Gonne came from a rebellious blood line as her father was involved in the Fenian uprising of 1867. She became involved in Irish affairs in the 1890's but, was excluded from nationalists groups based on the fact of her sex. Women at this time of the turn of the century were still not welcomed in many of the fraternal organizations already existing. She founded Inghinidhe na h-Éireann in 1900. In 1903 she married Major John MacBride, known for his role in Boer Wars. He joined Maud in the nationalist causes of Ireland and was executed for his involvement in the rising of 1916. During the Civil War she was imprisoned in Kilmainham Goal, but going on hunger strike was released after twenty days of her imprisonment. Seeing the conditions of republicans in prison she began the Women's Prisoners' Defense League in order to ensure the rights of Republicans who had been or would be imprisoned. She continued to advocate for prisoners and the cause of the Republicans for the rest of her life.
Mary MacSwiney was not only a member of Inghinidhe na h-Éireann, but also Sinn Fein, the Gaelic League, as well as the Munster Women's Franchise League. She had also become one of the very few women to receive a degree from Cambridge University at this time, with which she became a teacher. When Inghinidhe na h-Éireann and Cumann na mBan joined together in 1914, Mary became an executive member alongside Countess Markievicz. She fought fearlessly in Easter Rising and was eventually arrested and taken to Mountjoy Prison with many other women. Upon her arrest she was released from her teaching position and went on to start her own school, St. Ita's. She strongly opposed and protested the Anglo-Irish Treaty as did many members of Inghinidhe na h-Éireann. That being said she also fought in the War of Independence as well as the Civil War, advocating for military opposition to the Free Staters. Later, in 1927, she became the de facto leader of Sinn Fein after President Eamon de Valera resigned from the party and created Fianna Fail in the Sinn Fein split. Mary MacSwiney also took her seat in the First and Second Dail, the Assembly and Parliament of the Irish Republic.
Many of the women involved in Inghinidhe na h-Éireann were working class women, they were previously involved in the suffrage movements as well as the labour struggles. They saw women’s struggles in the political realm as equal to Ireland’s struggles to break free from Britain. It was their belief and their fight to work toward Irish independence in order to earn more rights for women in Ireland. In order to spread their opinions and ideas the women of Inghinidhe na h-Éireann had their own newspaper, Bean na n-Eireann, and also gave lectures in the surrounding counties. Following Easter 1916 after they had joined forces with Cumann na mBan, these women would travel to the United States to gain support of Irish-American and raise funds for the National Aid and Volunteer Dependents Fund, to support the families of those who were related to the heroes of 1916 or soldiers and/or veterans in the War of Independence and the Civil War. One of these women, to no surprise, was Mary MacSwiney.