Clodagh Finn: Anne Devlin was never just Robert Emmet’s housekeeper. It’s time we told her story

A new children’s book and the work of historian Mícheál Ó Doibhilín are helping restore Anne Devlin’s place in Irish history

Anne in her prison cell. Picture: Mícheál Ó Doibhilín

Sat, 19 Sep, 2026 - 01:00

Clodagh Finn

Clodagh Finn is a journalist, writer and collector of stories. Her recent book, The Irish in the Resistance, co-authored with John Morgan, shines a light on the forgotten contributions of the Irish who resisted Hitler during WW2.

She was a skilled horsewoman, a co-conspirator of the ill-fated Irish rebellion of 1803, a political prisoner and a determined nationalist who endured torture and death threats, but never revealed what she knew. She was also a working mother and a devoted wife.

Yet, mention the name Anne Devlin and many, if they know her at all, will remember her as the trustworthy housekeeper of executed leader Robert Emmet.