Mary Spring Rice
Mary Ellen Spring Rice was an Irish nationalist activist during the early 20th century. She was actively involved in gun-running during 1913-14, notably as part of the Howth Gun Run.
Biography
Before the First World War, Spring Rice hosted many Irish nationalist and Conradh na Gaeilge meetings at her home, and she became a close friend of Douglas Hyde and her cousin Nelly O'Brien. During 1913 and 1914, Spring Rice was actively involved in gun-running, most notably the Howth gun-running.This involved helping to ship weapons to be used in an Irish uprising from Germany into Ireland. Together with Molly Childers, she raised £2,000 towards the purchase of 900 Mauser rifles from Germany, many of which were used in the 1916 Easter Rising. Spring Rice sailed on the Asgard to collect the guns and helped to unload them in Ireland.
During the Irish War of Independence, she allowed her Mount [Trenchard House|Mount Trenchard home] to be used as a safe house by Irish Republican Army fighters and the family boat was used to carry men and arms over the Shannon Estuary.