30 Facts About Josephine Ryan

Josephine Ryan was educated in both the Loreto Abbey in Gorey and Dublin and attended boarding school in Thurles called The Ursuline.

Josephine Ryan graduated in 1908 from the National University after she had spent some time in both France and Germany.

Josephine Ryan was an intelligent and practical woman and very popular with her many nephews and nieces and other young friends.

Josephine Ryan was happiest when she was planning, when she and her sisters met together they were full of ideas and notions for themselves, their husbands and their children.

Josephine Ryan was a very attractive woman with a strong interest in current affairs although not with a great insight into the subtleties of politics and the struggle for national independence.

Josephine Ryan was at her best at family and social gatherings.

All twelve children from the Josephine Ryan family had secondary education and eleven out of the twelve went on to the old Catholic University or to University College Dublin.

Josephine Ryan was one of the last students to attend the institution.

Josephine Ryan's family was very much a nationalist house with several of her 11 siblings involved in the Easter Rising and subsequent wars.

Josephine Ryan met Sean Mac Diarmada, who later became one of the leaders of the Easter Rising, while she was in college.

Josephine Ryan was engaged to Sean Mac Diarmada, he described her as the woman he would have married had he lived.

Josephine Ryan was one of the last people to visit him before he was executed by the British after the Rising.

Josephine Ryan was present at the house where some of the leaders of the planned insurrection met and it was decided, by them, to call off the event for Easter 1916.

Josephine Ryan was sent to Wexford by Eoin MacNeill with the message that there would be no Rising.

Josephine Ryan delivered the message but hoping that in fact the rising would still take place she told the men in Wexford her opinion and returned to Dublin to see what would happen.

Josephine Ryan witnessed The O'Rahilly giving orders to treat the captives in the GPO with dignity and fairness.

Josephine Ryan had returned home when a sniper had shot a dog in front of her while she was headed back to the GPO and passing the College of Surgeons.

Josephine Ryan married General Richard Mulcahy on 2 June 1919 in Dublin.

At the beginning of their marriage they lived in a flat, which was regularly raided by the British military; Josephine Ryan had her first child there.

In September 1920, Josephine Ryan went to stay with her sister Agnes in Belfast for some months.

In September 1920, Josephine Ryan moved to Belfast for a few months to live with her sister.

Josephine Ryan was acknowledged in the Wounded Soldiers' Comforts Fund after the Civil War.

Josephine Ryan worked alongside her sister Phyllis for the Army Benevolent Fund, even though they had been on opposite sides during the war.

Josephine Ryan was a treasurer of the ladies' committee of the 43rd Battalion, which was chaired by Kathleen Lemass.

Josephine Ryan was said to be a possible candidate for the Seanad in 1925.

Josephine Ryan did some fundraising for the Central Catholic Library by organising bridge tournaments.

Josephine Ryan helped with fundraising for the building of a new Catholic church in Cabra.

Josephine Ryan was the president of the Loreto Past Pupils Union.

Josephine Ryan was a part of the fundraising committee for the Meath Hospital.

Josephine Ryan died there a few days later on 11 April 1977 at the age of 92.