03/01/2023
3rd January 1897 Annie Coyle was born to Charles and Mary Coyle in Killult, Falcarragh, Co Donegal. She is better known as Eithne Coyle.
Annie (Eithne) Coyle was born on 3rd January 1897 in Killult, Falcarragh, Co Donegal. She was the youngest child of Mary (née McHugh)and Charles Coyle. She received her secondary education in Strabane.
In 1917 she joined Cumann na mBan and in 1918, she co-founded the Cloughaneely Cumann na mBan branch. Between 1918 and 1919 she lived in Dungannon as a Gaelic League organiser before moving to Longford to set up Cumann na mBan branches there. She was also a Gaelic League organiser in Roscommon. In early 1920, her activities included acting as fundraiser, courier and spy. The RIC became suspicious of her activities and her home was raided on several occasions. Arrested on New Year’s Day 1921 and charged with harbouring seditious documents, she was sentenced to three years’ penal servitude, reduced to one year. She was imprisoned in Roscommon, Athlone and Mountjoy in Dublin. However, she managed to escape in October 1921.
She eventually returned to Donegal and was appointed as organiser for Cumann na mBan in Donegal, Tyrone and County Derry. During the Civil War, Coyle resumed her duties as courier, fundraiser, spy and publicity officer. She also helped operate an IRA hospital.
During early 1922, she was frequently arrested by Pro-Treaty forces but was released without charge. In September 1922, the Provisional Irish Government began to crack down on the activities of Cumann na mBan and she was the first member to be arrested. When held at Ballyshannon she was the first Cumann na mBan member to go on hunger strike, refusing food for seven days as there was no female prison guard. She was moved to Buncrana Barracks for two weeks and 2 months later she was taken to Mountjoy Prison by boat. She remained in jail until after the Civil War ended.
In 1926, she was elected as President of Cumann na mBan. She spoke out against the Coercion Act of the early 1930s and was against the De Valera government. She also spoke against the rise of Fascism.
She opposed the IRA bombing campaign in Britain in 1939–40 and resigned from Cumann na mBan in 1940.
A letter from Peadar O’Donnell dated 19 April 1945 supporting her pension application, noted she was targeted severely during the Civil War by the Irish Free State forces who ‘regarded her more as an IRA officer than as Cumann na mBan organiser, which indeed she was’.
Eithne collected many documents, personal stories and memorabilia about Cumann na mBan which can be found in the Eithne Coyle O’Donnell Papers in University College Dublin. She died in January 1985.
Donegal County Archives Donegal County Council Donegal County Library Highland Radio Donegal Page Healthy Donegal Donegal Woman Women's Collective Ireland-Donegal Wild Atlantic Women Donegal Dark Daughter Productions & Costume Hire Catherine Martin T.D. Donegal ETB County Donegal Historical Society Donegal Education Support Centre History Ireland Ireland Family History Women's History Association of Ireland (WHAI) IrishCentral.com
