Cavan Senator looks to honour 'fearless' Mary Reilly

As the 109th Anniversary of the Easter Rising approaches, local Senator Sarah O’Reilly has spoken of her pride and respect for a family member who played a key role in Cumann na mBan during the rebellion. In Mary Reilly’s honour the Aontú representative says she will “proudly wear” an Easter Lily this month as a mark of respect to all who fought for Irish freedom.

Mary (nee Smith) came to live in Bailieborough following her marriage to well-known publican Jimmy Reilly, who ran the Square Bar in the town for many years.

“I’m sure that when Mary came to Bailieborough, few people suspected that the gentle and unassuming woman had risked life and limb for a cause she passionately believed in,” says Senator O’Reilly.

Aged just 20 and “a slip of a thing but with steely determination and true character”, Mary’s job was carrying messages. “She would collect dispatches from one safe house, place them in her bra and walk through towns and villages to another safe house” before handing them to another girl who’d bring them to carry to Dublin.

Mary would also carry dispatches on the return journey. “She criss-crossed the country, walking miles and miles and wore out shoe leather, one pair of shoes would last her a month. Mary told of wearing a long apron over her clothes to cover pots of soup she would carry to the Irish Volunteers who were in hiding or on the run.”

It was dangerous work. Members of Cumann na mBan also participated in gun running and running safe houses. They faced constant raids on their homes by the Black and Tans and were often violently mistreated.

Mary often recalled those times and the things she’d seen, including some savage acts of cruelty.

“She told of a young widow friend of hers with several young children. The Black and Tans entered the widow’s house looking for weapons. They found none, but before they left, they ripped open a sack of flour, spread it all over the floor and walked through it to make it unusable.”

Another tale was of a priest tied to the back of a wagon, his body dragged all the way to Navan. By the time the Black and Tans reached their destination the priest’s head had been severed.

“It was a terrible time, and I have nothing but admiration for Mary and all the others who took on the might of the British Empire,” says Senator O’ Reilly.

In recognition for the service Mary provided to Ireland’s freedom, she received a medal from the President of Ireland, Sean O’Kelly. She also received a pension, posted to her every month until she died at the age of 97.

Several government officials and representatives attended Mary’s funeral, one of the largest ever seen in Bailieborough. A military guard of honour draped a tricolour over the coffin and a 21-gun salute was fired.

The first Aontú Cumann in County Cavan was set up in Bailieborough, and named the Mary Reilly Cumann.

“This Easter we can all pay tribute to them and focus on the ideals and objectives they fought for,” says Senator O’Reilly. “Not all those objectives have been achieved, and we need to work harder, together, to ensure that they are. Democratic Irish Independence, economic justice and to cherish all the children of the nation equally; that’s what our brave heroes called for as they struck that fateful blow for our freedom in 1916.”

She concludes by saying: “All of us owe all the men and women who lit the flame for our freedom as a country our deepest gratitude. Show it by wearing the Easter Lily.”