Áine Ní Riain

Áine, sister of Eilís Uí Chonaill, was born in Listreenagh, Legan in 1887. She worked in Tullamore and joined Cumann na mBan in 1915, inspired by O’Donocvan Rossa’s funeral. She visited Eilís in Dublin on Holy Saturday 1916 and remained in the city.

Áine was attached to the GPO garrison. She volunteered at Reis’s Chambers on Tuesday morning and later moved to the Hibernian Bank, which was next door. On Wednesday, she transferred into the GPO, where she helped to prepare food.  On Friday, when it was clear that the garrison could no longer remain in the building, Pearse called all of the women together and spoke to them. According to Áine:

He said he wished that everyone of us who was not qualified in first aid should leave, as the fighting would get very severe and it would probably come to using bayonets to fight their way out.

Áine and most of the women left the building and were briefly detained at Broadstone Station later that day.

Áine moved to Dublin in June 1916 and joined the Central Branch of Cumann na mBan. Later, she was quarter-master of the branch. She was present at the extraordinary general meeting of the organisation in 1922 at which the majority (herself included) rejected the Anglo-Irish Treaty. She died in 1955 and was buried beside St Brigid's Church, Ardagh.