Mary Anne Fanning, who served as a district midwife and nurse in counties Kerry and Dublin, used the tools in her now 124-year-old midwifery bag to assist Volunteers during the 1916 Rising. Her bag is now a significant part of a new exhibition that honours the work of community midwives in early 20th century Ireland. The exhibition is presented in the National Museum of Ireland’s Country Life branch in Castlebar, Co Mayo.
Fanning, known as a popular and appreciated figure in her region, was frequently spotted carrying her midwifery supplies in a basket affixed to her bicycle, braving diverse weather conditions. Her occupation often required her to be on duty, away from her family, for extended periods. With time, she began navigating from spot to spot in a Model-T Ford car during her prolonged 48-year tenure.
Given the essential nature of her job, a discussion concerning Fanning’s petrol permit was taken up in the Dáil amidst fuel shortages in the Second World War, eliciting a retort from Seán Lemass, the then Minister for supplies. This dialogue is now exhibited among Fanning’s medical tools, midwifery qualifications, a writing desk, and a 1902 christening gown still in use by her descendents.
Fanning’s granddaughter, Pacelli Linscheid, expressed her delight and pride in seeing her grandmother’s contribution recognised by the National Museum of Ireland. She applauded her ancestor’s devotion to serving her community and aiding families during their most challenging times.
This commemorative exhibition also includes accounts of several other midwives and nurses from counties Clare, Cork, Galway, Mayo, Tipperary and Wicklow. The narratives are a result of detailed research by 22 groups coming together to form the Irish Community Archive Network (iCan).
Emma Laffey, a healthcare assistant at Ballinasloe’s Portiuncula University Hospital’s maternity unit and also a community volunteer with the Skehana and District Heritage Group, has co-curated an exhibition recalling the significant role local midwives played. Based on her personal experiences, heritage, and the discovery of her great-grandmother Sarah McBride’s cause of death – maternal exhaustion, the exhibition is free for all and will carry on until the 8th of March, 2025.
Laffey expresses her fascination and respect for these women who, in an era where career prospects after marriage were scarce, persevered through countless barriers to educate themselves and establish their professional careers. As figurative community pillars, the strides these women made have been acknowledged and celebrated in the exhibition.
The basis of the exhibition lies in Laffey’s award-winning literary accomplishment, An Bhean Ghlúine, an Irish phrase translated as “woman of the knee,” representing the universal metaphor for community midwives of the 19th and 20th centuries. Virginia Teehan, CEO of the Heritage Council, an organisation that funded the publication of Laffey’s book, respects the integral part the exhibition plays in reminding us of the local midwives’ role in providing culturally informed, community-based care, confronting distinct issues such as geographical solitude, confined access to medical amenities, and the necessity for customised care.
The exhibition also includes numerous interactive components, including audio renditions and touchscreen narratives, as well as a Midwives’ Memory Book where attendees are encouraged to record their personal recalls. Through initiating this collective introspection, Laffey aims to delve deeper into understanding the impact of midwifery in Irish communities.
Éimear O’Connor, a co-curator and the head of collections and access at the National Museum of Ireland, envisions this engagement as essentially “removing the museum’s walls”, prompting a dialogue within the local society. The National Museum of Ireland presents Mary Anne Fanning: Remembering Our Community Midwives, situated in Turlough Park, Castlebar, Co Mayo, available for viewing at no cost until the 8th of March, 2025.