In the heart of Rathfarnham Village stands a statue commemorating Anne Devlin, the Irish republican co-conspirator who helped plan the Irish rebellion of 1803.
Anne Devlin (1780-1851) was born in Cronebeg, County Wicklow. At 16, she began to work as a maid to support her family. In 1801, at 21, she moved to Rathfarnham, where her cousin, the rebel Michael Dwyer, secured her a job as the housekeeper of Robert Emmet, the leader of the newly founded Society of United Irishmen.
This position was a disguise for her as an unpaid co-conspirator. She had a significant role in planning the society’s upcoming uprising against the British regime, arranging meetings, and delivering messages and arms between the guerilla forces across Dublin.
On the evening of July 23rd, 1803, the rebels seized several strategic positions across the city, but by the morning, the uprising had failed.
Devlin was arrested by the British, and for the next three years, she was imprisoned and kept in solitary confinement at Kilmainham Gaol. Despite being tortured, she refused to unveil any information about her fellow rebellions.
After her release in 1806, 26 years old Devlin was hired as a maid by friends of the Emmet family and later as a laundress at St Patrick’s Hospital Dublin. She lived in poverty until she died at 71.
Clodagh Emoe created the bronze statue, which was unveiled on February 26th, 2004, by the mayor of South Dublin, Maire Ardagh. The statue depicts Devlin barefoot, poorly dressed, with a fierce look that expresses courage and resilience.
There are many recommended sites to visit while in Rathfarnham Village, including Rathfarnham Castle, the Fairy Tree in Marlay Park, the Rathfarnham Parish Church of Ireland, and the Saint Peregrine Chapel.
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