Anne Devlin
Ireland's First Female Political Prisoner
"Go to the devil and get someone else; I'll tell you nothing."
These are the defiant words of Anne Devlin to her prosecutors. Never convicted of any crime, Anne spent three years of her life imprisoned in the dungeons of Kilmainham Gaol. Referred to as the faithful housekeeper of Robert Emmet, she was much more than that. Her support for her cousins the the 1798 rebellion led to her taking a pivotal role in the insurrection of 1803.
She bravely resisted bribes, threats, and torture rather than say one word against Emmet or name any of his associates.
One hundred and seventy-five years after her death in a Dublin slum, it is time to acknowledge this remarkable Irish patriot.