Eugene Murphy (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I thought it very important to come to support my colleagues and others in the House with regard to the naming of the national children's hospital. I hope we will get the name of Dr. Kathleen Lynn onto that particular building.I also welcome the people in the Gallery.

I compliment my party colleagues, Senators Fitzpatrick, Ardagh and Clifford-Lee. Like Senator Casey, I knew of Kathleen Lynn but did not know much about her. In recent months and weeks, in particular, it has been an experience finding out all those things about her. The more I read and the more research I have, I realise this was a very special person. Many references have been made to the values of the hospital. The name of the new hospital should reflect the values that will inform the care it provides for generations to come. What better name to have attached to that than Dr. Kathleen Lynn? She did so much in a very difficult time when there was little money and shocking poverty, and children were dying because of neglect. She was a west of Ireland woman who was born in County Mayo in 1874. She was deeply affected by the abject poverty and disease that ravaged the lives of local people in the aftermath of the Great Famine. As I come from Strokestown, County Roscommon, I know quite a lot about the Great Famine and what it did to people in that part of the country.

At just 16 years of age, Kathleen Lynn decided to become a doctor. She studied medicine at the Catholic University of Ireland's medical school on Cecilia Street and graduated in 1899. Following that graduation, she conducted her internship at Holles Street Hospital, the Rotunda Hospital, the Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital and the Richmond District Lunatic Asylum. In 1898, she was appointed the first woman resident doctor at Dublin's Adelaide Hospital but staff opposition to her appointment meant she did not take up the post, which was highly regrettable. She completed her postgraduate work in the United States in the early 1900s before working as a duty doctor at hospitals in the city of Dublin as part of her wider general practice, based in her home at 9 Belgrave Road, Rathmines. She became a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland in 1909 and was promoted to clinical assistant at the Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital in the same year.

Dr. Lynn was a member of the executive committee of the Irish Women's Suffrage and Local Government Association from 1903 and was also said to be on friendly terms with the suffragist Sylvia Pankhurst. She supported the workers during the 1913 Lock-out and worked with Constance Markievicz and others in the soup kitchens at Liberty Hal,l becoming close to Markievicz and James Connolly, In 1913, at the request of Constance Markievicz, she treated Helena Molony - this was referred to - who stayed with Dr. Lynn while she recuperated, which was an excuse to have long talks that converted Dr. Lynn to the national movement. This lady had many other attributes.

I recognise Senator Kyne and fair play to him for being brave enough to say what he said, but that is not what this evening is about. I am so glad that there is widespread support for the motion across the House. I admire everyone who have spoken in favour of this move. I only hope it will become a reality.