Alice Ryan and the Women of 8 Church Street Tipperary (Part One)

Alice Ryan (Ailis ni Riain) was President of 4th Battalion Cumann na mBan during the War of Independence, and the 2nd Southern Division Cumann na mBan during the Civil War. Alice ran a newsagent, grocery, tearoom, and boarding business at 8 Church Street Tipperary with her younger sister Katie Ryan who was also active. Their home and business premises at 8 Church Street was used as a Republican HQ until forced to close in 1921.

Alice and Katie's older sister Mary Quigley ran the Post Office and grocery at 238 Merrion Road in Dublin. Mary's eldest daughters Kathleen (grandmother of the author of this article) and May Quigley spent time with their Aunts in Tipperary, and Grandparents in Donohill. May met Sean Treacy at 8 Church Street and they formed a close relationship. Sean was killed in Talbot Street Dublin eleven days before their wedding.

Alice Ryan's first cousins Maggie and Agnes V. Harding were also active in the Republican cause, Maggie in Tipperary Cumann na mBan and Agnes V. in Dublin, where her Monument Creameries were used as Republican bases.

These two articles build a picture of the activities of these women and their associates and gives the wider context of their lives. Of particular interest is the full array of illustrations from family records. The starting point for this document was Kathleen Quigley (1894-1995) (Fig 01). Kathleen's stories and artefacts were added to other family and public records. Four books were especially useful. Mary Quigley wrote family details in the Merrion Road Post Office accounts book. Katie Ryan and May Quigley directly contributed to Desmond Ryan's 1945 biography of Sean Treacy. Alice Ryan contributed to Ide ni Riain's book on A. V. Ryan. Sister Eileen Ryan, niece to Alice and Katie, documented family history in her 1997 book Branches from an Ancient Tree. Alice Ryan, Katie Ryan, and Maggie Harding, contributed directly to the Military Pensions process, which archives have recently been made public.

First published in the Tipperary Historical Journal: https://tipperarystudies.ie/tipperaryhistoricaljournal/