'Long time coming' - plaque unveiled to honour Irish revolutionary
Conducted by Lord Mayor of Dublin Councillor Emma Blain, the plaque to Ms ffrench-Mullen was erected at her childhood home of 63 Moyne Road, Ranelagh, at 11am.
Born in Malta in 1880 and the eldest child of St Laurence ffrench-Mullen, a fleet surgeon in the Royal Navy, Ms ffrench-Mullen began her life of activism in the labour movement, taking part in the Dublin Lockout in 1913.
She was also an early member of Inghinidhe na hÉireann, a nationalist women's group founded by Maud Gonne in 1900, and wrote in their newspaper, Bean na hÉireann.
During this time, she met her lifelong partner Dr Kathleen Lynn. They both went on to serve in the Irish Citizen Army during the 1916 rising.
During the rising, Ms ffrench Mullen was stationed at the garrison of Stephen's Green/College of Surgeons, while Dr Lynn served as the Chief Medical Officer at the City Hall outpost.
Both were arrested and imprisoned in Kilmainham Gaol after the surrender.
Released later that year, the pair co-founded St Ultan's Infant hospital in 1919 to tackle high infant mortality rates in Dublin.
The first of its kind in Ireland, St Ultan's operated until 1984.
Ms ffrench-Mullen served as the hospital's secretary and lived with Dr Lynn until her death in 1944.
The Lord Mayor said the commemoration was "a long time coming".
"It's a very special place to unveil this plaque in the heart of Ranelagh and so many people have come out to acknowledge that," she said.
"There aren't enough plaques for women in the city and Madeleine was certainly a woman that deserves one and more."
Also participating in the unveiling ceremony were historian Sinéad McCoole, actor Olwen Fouéré who shared a reading from Ms ffrench-Mullen's diary and Natalie Ní Chasaide, who performed a piece of music.
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