Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit agus roimh an rún. Gabhaim buíochas le moltóirí an rúin anocht. Cuirim fearadh na fáilte roimh na cuairteoirí ó theaghlaigh 1916 atá linn sa Ghailearaí don phlé anocht. I thank the proposers of this important motion. I had not intended to speak on it. I just wanted to come in as a courtesy to Dr. Lynn and the women we are reflecting on tonight and to really listen to the contributions to learn a bit more about her. As others have said, she may have been forgotten and lost in the footnotes of history. Senator Kyne lays the blame for that at our feet. He may well do so. We were not in charge of the school curriculum and the media in this State for decades but, nevertheless, he can make the points he wishes to make in that regard. I heard very similar arguments made by previous Fine Gael speakers about changing the names of places such as Dingle to An Daingean, suggesting that could not be done because it might confuse people and upset the apple cart. These arguments are very familiar to me because, when I was a councillor, the political make-up in Belfast City Hall started to reflect the societal make-up and diversity of the city and we started to talk about how to ensure that the names of civic spaces and important places reflected all of us in our diversity and all those historical figures who are very worthy of remembrance and reflection. It was then that we started to hear people saying that we had to be careful in case we set a precedent and asking who would police it. I have heard those arguments before. I did not think they were particularly worthwhile then and I do not think they are particularly worthwhile now.

In speaking about Dr. Lynn tonight, it is important that we reflect on the role of women, not least during the revolutionary period. All of this has made me think about another female figure, who was mentioned by Senator Sherlock earlier: Winifred Carney. Winifred Carney was a contemporary of Dr. Lynn and also a member of the Irish Citizen Army. Does it not say something that all of these women figures were socialists as well as republicans? She was James Connolly's aide-de-camp and was stationed in the GPO garrison during the Rising. She was known as the typist with the Webley because she was famous for having her typewriter under one arm and her Webley on her waist. Winifred Carney went on to stand for Sinn Féin in east Belfast in a constituency in which some of us would later stand, Belfast Pottinger.

While I in no way mean to take away from Dr. Lynn, because I support the motion and naming the children's hospital in her honour, which is the right thing to do, I am reminded of a story in the context of all of the issues we are discussing. After the surrender order was given, an order that Winifred Carney typed up to be despatched by Elizabeth O'Farrell and others around the city, Pearse ordered the evacuation of the GPO. He insisted that the women had to go and that included Winifred Carney and Elizabeth O'Farrell. Winifred Carney stood her ground and said she would not go and leave the injured James Connolly as she was his aide-de-camp. Pearse eventually won her over, although I do not know how he did so. He insisted that the women remove their Irish Citizen Army regalia and their Sam Browne belts so that they would not be identified as having taken part in the Rising if they were to come upon one of the British Army checkpoints around Dublin city at that time. Not only did Winifred Carney refuse to hand over her regalia, but she took a bayonet and carved her name into the back of her belt saying that she was going to make sure that, if she was stopped, the soldiers would know exactly who she was and what she was doing.

These women were unabashed and unashamed of their role. Likewise, we should be unabashed and unashamed about honouring them. This is really appropriate and truly the right way to honour Dr. Kathleen Lynn. As Senators Black and Sherlock have touched on, the naming of the hospital in this way is key and fundamental and, by and large, it has support across this House. However, the most fitting tribute to Kathleen Lynn and all those women would be a change in society to ensure that it cherishes all the children of the national equally and that it delivers upon and ultimately fulfils the promise of the Republic that Dr. Lynn fought and gave so much for. I hope we will see that come to pass. A Dublin where children are sleeping in hotels and cars and where people cannot access medical care, regardless of how fancy, shiny and new the hospital might be, is not the Dublin that Kathleen Lynn would want to see more than 100 years later. Nevertheless, I support the motion tonight. I thank and commend the proposers. I again acknowledge the presence of the families here tonight. I look forward to the naming of the hospital but, more importantly, to the realisation of the Republic that Kathleen Lynn wanted so much.