Nora Wallace (1893– 17 September 1970) and Sheila Wallace (1887 – 14 April 1944) were business women who owned a newsagents on Brunswick Street, now known as St Augustine Street in Cork, who were also Intelligence officers for the

IRA Ira or IRA may refer to: *Ira (name), a Hebrew, Sanskrit, Russian or Finnish language personal name *Ira (surname), a rare Estonian and some other language family name *Iran, UNDP code IRA Law *Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, US, on status of ...

during the

Irish War of Independence The Irish War of Independence () or Anglo-Irish War was a guerrilla war fought in Ireland from 1919 to 1921 between the Irish Republican Army (IRA, the army of the Irish Republic) and British forces: the British Army, along with the quasi-mil ...

and used their premises as a meeting place and brigade headquarters.

Biography

Nora and Sheila Wallace were born in Cork, Ireland. They grew up in

Donoughmore Donoughmore (spelt ''Donaghmore'' by Ordnance Survey Ireland; Irish: ''Domhnach Mór'') is a civil and Catholic parish in County Cork, Ireland. This rural district lies 25 km west-northwest of Cork city. Donoughmore is part of the Cork Nort ...

before moving to Cork city in 1910. They were the daughters of Jeremiah and Mary Wallace (née Keeffe). They had eight other siblings. The family were Catholic, socialist and nationalist. The women ran a newsagents selling cigarettes, magazines and newspapers, as well as political pamphlets and periodicals which promoted Irish. Behind the scenes they were also involved in intelligence from 1916 up to the end of the

War of Independence This is a list of wars of independence (also called liberation wars). These wars may or may not have been successful in achieving a goal of independence. List See also * Lists of active separatist movements * List of civil wars * List of o ...

. The sisters became involved in the Irish Citizen Army and went on to establish a Women's Citizen Army in Cork. During the subsequent wars, both were also members of the

Irish Republican Army The Irish Republican Army (IRA) is a name used by various paramilitary organisations in Ireland throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Organisations by this name have been dedicated to irredentism through Irish republicanism, the belief tha ...

. Both women were awarded pensions for their work as IRA Brigade officers. Their shop was a central IRA Communications and organisational hub for the network from 1916 when the women carried dispatches during the

Easter Rising The Easter Rising ( ga, Éirí Amach na Cásca), also known as the Easter Rebellion, was an armed insurrection in Ireland during Easter Week in April 1916. The Rising was launched by Irish republicans against British rule in Ireland with the a ...

until it was closed by British forces in May 1921. At that time, the women were ordered by the British forces to leave Cork. After the War of Independence, the sisters sided with the Republican side during the

Irish Civil War The Irish Civil War ( ga, Cogadh Cathartha na hÉireann; 28 June 1922 – 24 May 1923) was a conflict that followed the Irish War of Independence and accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State, an entity independent from the United ...

. Nora Wallace suffered ill health and TB as a result of her activities during the War of Independence and the Civil War. Her doctor's certification detailed this during her pension applications. Sheila held one of the highest ranks of a woman in the IRA as a Staff Officer. Spies were handled by the Wallace sisters where they coordinated them, ran their communications and gave them instructions and they also decoded British Army codes. The women acted as quartermasters keeping records of the armaments of the Brigade. Nora continued to work in the shop until 1960. Both sisters are buried in

St. Finbarr's Cemetery St. Finbarr's Cemetery () in Cork, Ireland, is the city's largest and one of the oldest cemeteries in Ireland which is still in use. Located on the Glasheen Road, it was first opened in the 1860s. The entrance gateway was erected circa 1865, and ...

. Their activities have been covered in a number of documentaries including ''Ordinary Women in Extraordinary Times'' and ''The Little Shop of Secrets''.

Sources

{{Authority control Women in war 1900–1945 Women in war in Ireland People of the Easter Rising Irish republicans Businesspeople from Cork (city) 20th-century Irish businesswomen 20th-century Irish businesspeople