Roscommon Council to examine viability of recognising Dr Bridget Lyons Thornton

Roscommon County Council will examine the viability of a proposal to recognise the heroic work of nationalist hero Dr Bridget Lyons Thornton.

Roscommon local elected representative, Cllr Tom Crosby, received the full support from his council colleagues at the last meeting of Roscommon Council Council when he presented a notice of motion calling on Roscommon County Council to appropriately recognise the heroic work of Roscommon native Dr Bridget Lyons.

Dr Lyons moved to Longford at a young age to live with her uncle Frank McGuinness and his wife Kate, who paid for her secondary school education. She was a patriot hero of the Easter Week Rising and received awards for her bravery and courage, also as a medical doctor attending to the injured soldiers in the GPO. The War of Independence hero was imprisoned at the time when leaders Pearse and Connolly surrendered to the British Army. Brigid was a close colleague of Countess Markievicz.

Later she was commissioned by Michael Collins to become the first and only woman to be accepted as a female officer in the Free State Army. She was part of the medical services that formed the corps, when it was time to establish a permanent, new all Irish Medical Service in 1922. Later she became a leading figure in the fight against tuberculosis amongst the poor in Ireland and pioneered the BCG vaccination scheme in the 1950s which practically rid Ireland of Tuberculosis.”

Brigid Lyons married Captain Edward Thornton in October 1925 in the Chapel of St. Kevin at the Pro-Cathedral Dublin. She survived her husband Captain Edward Thornton’s passing during 1946, (they had no children).

Cllr Crosby informed the meeting of the following history that Dr Brigid Lyons was born in Northyard, Scramogue, Co. Roscommon during 1896. She was a daughter of farmer and noted Fenian, Patrick Lyons and Margaret McGuinness. Cllr Crosby said the house Dr Lyons was born in is still standing and should be restored as a monument and the family that own it are amenable to the proposal.

Brigid supported the Treaty side in Ireland and also she played a very significant role in the Foundation of the Army Medical Corps. Dr Brigid Lyons Thornton was the first female Irish woman to be commissioned as a 1st Lieutenant in the Medical Corps of the Irish Free State Army by Michael Collins during 1922.

In the following years of Home Rule / WW1 Brigid Lyons became very involved with the nationalist movement. She smuggled money, gold and guns to fund the ‘cause’. Along with her fellow Cumann na mBan women they kept morale high…. with parcels, protests and letters.’ Brigid Lyons was one of the most active Cumann na mBan women as she sent parcels and corresponded with prisoners.

She rose to the rank of commandant in Cumann na mBan, and dangerously smuggled hand grenades by train to pass on to Longford IRA under the command of Seán MacEoin. Later when he was captured she managed to contact him and take messages from him to Michael Collins.

Brigid Lyons who was living in Longford when she heard the news of The 1916 Easter Rising with her uncles Frank and Joe McGuinness who were serving in the Four Courts along with Pádraic Pearse, James Connolly and Michael Collins. Brigid joined with them in the Four Courts.

Dr Briget Lyons uncle Frank & Joe McGuinness who was born in Cloonmore Tarmonbarry Co Roscommon in 1867 to Martin McGuinness and Rose Farrell. Frank was elected a T.D. in 1923 for the Longford Westmeath constituency.

Dr Brigid Lyons Thornton was buried on the 71st anniversary of the Easter Rising in Toomore Cemetery, Foxford, County Mayo alongside her Husband. Members of the Western Command rendered her military honours at her burial and her coffin was draped in the tricolour.

In conclusion, Cllr Crosby stated that very few people now would have known of this heroic great woman he said if it was a man there would be many monuments in recognition.