The ‘The Birth of a Nation’ 1916 Exhibition at the Rotunda Hospital
Monday, March 07, 2016
@RotundaHospital / #WomenOf1916
The exhibition will open to the public until Thursday, March 31st where the Rotunda Hospital has acknowledged the role of the hospital, its staff and prominent medical women throughout the events of 1916. ‘The Birth of a Nation’ exhibition will showcase the lives of five extraordinary 1916 medical women for the first time.
Through a series of never before seen images, diaries and specially commissioned video footage, the public will be introduced to the women of the Rising at the Rotunda who went on to become important figures in Irish medical history; Bridget Lyons Thornton, Kathleen Lynn, Dorothy Stopford Price, Mary O’Shea and The Hon. Albinia Brodrick.
It will offer intriguing insight into the women of the Rising from Dr Kathleen Lynn, a member of the Irish Citizen Army who described herself to an arresting officer as ‘a red cross doctor and a belligerent’ to Midwife Mary O’Shea, originally from Co. Laois who witnessed the surrender of the leaders of the Rising as they were held on the grounds of the Rotunda.
A series of lunchtime talks will take place, from 1.15pm-1.45pm in The Pillar Room of the Rotunda throughout March with special guest lecturers providing insight into life at the Rotunda and its medical practice throughout 1916.
Joe Duignan will lead the first in a series of lunchtime lectures on Friday, March 11th where he will discuss“ Medicine in 1916” with author and journalist Padraig Yeats overseeing a conversation titled 'The Women are Worse than the Men; Crime in Dublin, 1916.’ on Thursday, March 17th. Sir Eugene Nolan will close with a final talk titled ‘Caring at the Mater Hospital in a time of Civil Strife – 1916’ on Friday, March 25th.
A joint effort, the exhibition has been collated by a multi-disciplinary group of doctors, departmental staff and Head Librarian of the Rotunda Anne O’Byrne along with Curatorial Advisor Sinead McCoole.
Starts: 7 March 2016
Ends: 31 March 2016
Location: The Rotunda Hospital, Dublin 1