Woods, Molly Flannery, 1875-1952

Mary Flannery Woods, mostly known as Molly, was born in Monasteraden, County Sligo, Ireland in 1875. Molly worked as a private tutor to the children of P. J. Murray in Galway and then as a governess for the O’Farrell family, traveling with them when Major General O’Farrell was appointed the Governor of Malta. She returned to Ireland and married Andrew Woods in 1902 and they had at least three children, Maureen, Eileen, and Tony. Molly began writing for various publications as early as 1900 and went on to write for a wide number of Irish newspapers. She was a member of the Irish Fireside Club, an early literary organization whose aim was to spread education and where she met her husband, as well as the Irish National Literary Society.

Woods was a member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians and of the Cumann na mBan (League of Women). The League was involved with the women's branch of the Irish Volunteer Force and later the Irish Republican Army. Her husband, Andrew Woods, was also active in the Nationalist cause. Though she was not part of the Rising, Woods was active with the Irish Republican Army from 1916-1921. Shewas a prominent member of the Ranelagh and later the Donnybrook branches of the organization, and at one point she reported directly to Michael Collins and Liam Mellows. During the Irish Civil War she provided medical aid for wounded men, smuggled arms, and harbored wanted men including Liam Mellows and Sean Etchingham. Her home 131 Morehampton Road, known as St Enda’s, was a known arms and ammunitions depot for certain units of the IRA and was raided constantly. It is believed that Woods died in 1952.