Aoife de Búrca (3 October 1885 1 December 1974), one of the few nurses stationed in the Hibernian Bank and the

General Post Office, Dublin The General Post Office (GPO; ) is the former headquarters of — the Irish Post Office. It remains its registered office and the principal post office of Dublin Easter Rising The Easter Rising (), 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 aim of establishing an ind ...

, de Búrca was one of those who treated

James Connolly James Connolly (; 5 June 1868 – 12 May 1916) was a Scottish people, Scottish-born Irish republicanism, Irish republican, socialist, and trade union leader, executed for his part in the Easter Rising, 1916 Easter Rising against British rule i ...

before his arrest.

Biography

She was born Evaline Mary Burke on 3 October 1885 to Mary Kelly and Henry J. Burke. Her father Henry had been born in

Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It is located on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River. Albany is the oldes ...

to Irish parents. He moved back to Ireland where he married, and settled in

Carbury, County Kildare Carbury (), also formerly spelt "Carbery", is a rural community and a village in north-west County Kildare, Ireland. It is situated on the R402 road (Ireland), R402 Regional road (Ireland), regional road between Enfield, County Meath, Enfield a ...

, Ireland. The couple had 5 children. de Búrca attended school in the Dominican Convent on Eccles street in

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

. She went on to study nursing. She came from a republican family. Her younger brother Frank Burke was one of the Irish volunteers and was stationed in the GPO. When de Búrca heard of the insurrection she immediately went into the city centre to find out what was needed. She returned to her lodgings, packed a bag and hired a car to take her and her luggage to the action. There she was given a position across the road from the GPO. She remained in the buildings of the Hibernian hotel treating the wounded, including treating Captain Thomas Weafer where he died, until the wounded were evacuated through the walls of the basement and across the road. From then on she was stationed in the GPO itself. de Búrca spent one night at home during the rising and worked as a messenger for

Patrick Pearse Patrick Henry Pearse (also known as Pádraig or Pádraic Pearse; ; 10 November 1879 – 3 May 1916) was an Irish teacher, barrister, Irish poetry, poet, writer, Irish nationalism, nationalist, Irish republicanism, republican political activist a ...

on her way out of the centre of the city. She returned the following day and served there aiding in treating the injured until the building was collapsing due to the fire caused by shelling. At that point all wounded were evacuated to the

Jervis Street Hospital Jervis Street Hospital () was a hospital in Jervis Street in Dublin, Ireland. The site of the hospital became the Jervis Shopping Centre. History Charitable infirmary, Cook Street The hospital was founded by six Dublin surgeons, George Duany, ...

. de Búrca remained there over night and returned to her lodgings in the morning. de Búrca spent her life working for

Dublin Corporation Dublin Corporation (), known by generations of Dubliners simply as ''The Corpo'', is the former name of the city government and its administrative organisation in Dublin since the 1100s. Significantly re-structured in 1660–1661, even more si ...

as a nurse. She lived in Drumcondra until she moved in with her brother Frank in

Rathfarnham Rathfarnham () is a Southside (Dublin), southside suburb of Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland in County Dublin. It is south of Terenure, east of Templeogue, and is in the postal districts of Dublin 14 and Dublin 16, 16. It is between the Lo ...

where she died in November 1974. The Red Cross armlet and apron that she wore is on display in the

National Museum of Ireland The National Museum of Ireland () is Ireland's leading museum institution, with a strong emphasis on national and some international archaeology, Irish history, Irish art, culture, and natural history. It has three branches in Dublin, the arch ...

. Her memoir of the event was written the same year as well as being updated in the 1960s. Her story was covered in a television production called ''Seven Women'' for

RTÉ (; ; RTÉThe É in RTÉ is pronounced as an English E () and not an Irish É ()) is an Irish public service broadcaster. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on television, radio and online. The radio service began on 1 January 1926, ...

References and sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:de Burca, Aoife 1885 births 1974 deaths Female wartime nurses Irish nurses Women in war 1900–1945 Women in war in Ireland Health professionals from County Kildare People from Albany, New York People from Carbury, County Kildare Women in the Easter Rising People of the Easter Rising