Cumann na mBan (literally "The Women's Council" but calling themselves "The Irishwomen's Council" in English), abbreviated C na mB, is an Irish republican women's paramilitary organisation formed in Dublin on 2 April 1914, merging with and dissolving Inghinidhe na … The soldiers of Cumann na mBan! However, in anticipation of fierce hand-to-hand fighting, some of the rebel leaders - De Valera at Boland’s Bakery and Eamon Ceannt at South Dublin Union - did not permit Cumann na mBan to occupy posts alongside their garrisons. However by 1916 many who remained took an active part in the Easter … In this interview, she describes the return of Countess Markievicz to Dublin after her imprisonment in England. Almost all of the women (other than those in the Irish Citizen Army) who participated in the Rising were members of Cumann na mBan. At the Four Courts they helped to organise the evacuation of buildings at the time of surrender and to destroy incriminating papers. Cumann na mBan translation and audio pronunciation The women’s … Cumann Na mBan badge The 1919-1921war of independence medals and 1971 medals are sometimes seen with a brooch attached to the ribbon in the form of a rifle with the letters ' C NA MB. Cumann na mBanCumann na mBan—literally, "league of women"—was founded in Dublin in April 1914 as a women's auxiliary to the Irish Volunteers. This put Cumann na mBan right at the heart of the Easter Rising. An attempt was made to get them to sign a statement recanting their stand but this failed. "To intensify the reign of terror, swoops were made in the night, entries forced into their homes, and the women’s hair cut off in a brutal fashion as well as suffering other indignities and insults.". It’s thought up to a hundred were involved, Some fought alongside the men but most acted in auxiliary roles gatherin… Nora Connolly did much more than make breakfast for the 1916 Leaders. Cumann na mBan declared their support for the Irish Volunteers in November 1914 and their membership numbers suffered as a result. RTÉ.ie is the website of Raidió Teilifís Éireann, Ireland's National Public Service Media. © RTÉ 2021. The first provisional committee of Cumann na mBan included Agnes MacNeill, Nancy O’Rahilly, Mary Colum, Jenny Wyse Power, Louise Gavan Duffy and Elizabeth Bloxham. Cumann na mBan, an exclusively female organization, was and is a unique response by Irish women to their marginalization in the Irish Republican Movement. During the War of Independence, Cumann na mBan played vital and front-line roles against the forces of the British state. Most of Cumann na mBan supported the rump of 2-3,000 who rejected this call, and who retained the original name, the IVF. In their defence, Mary Colum said that Cumann na mBan "decided to do any national work that came within the scope of our aims". Cumann na mBan remained in existence long after the Rising and enjoyed several surges in popularity including WW2 and at various time during the Troubles in Northern Ireland. #OTD in 1914 – Cumann na mBan, Irish women’s Republican movement, was founded. But elsewhere the organisation played a vital, though generally non-combatant, role in the insurrection. Cumann na mBan’s separate status gave it autonomy and gave the women the chance of leadership. RTÉ is not responsible for the content of external internet sites. Nora Connolly O'Brien, James Connolly’s daughter, founded the Belfast branch of Cumann na mBan. On 23 April, on the eve of the Easter Rising, the Irish Volunteers, the Irish Citizen Armyand Cumann na mBan became the new Army of the Irish Republic, with Patrick Pearse in overall command. 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