Geraldine O'Reilly

Elizabeth O’Farrell was the woman asked to escort Padraig Pearse to Britain Street where he surrendered to Brigadier General Lowe on the 29th April 1916.

I remembered there was always talk about the photograph of the event. In some photographs one can clearly see her feet standing

behind Pearse. In other photographs she is missing.

Were there several photographs of the event? Or was she airbrushed out of history?

 

In my print I remade the image of Elizabeth standing behind Pearse. I also remade the letter she carried to Pearse from the Brigadier General, asking him to surrender. Working with a magnifying glass in order to draw the images onto copper plate – I was moved by the poignancy of the event knowing the outcome.