Ina Connolly was born in 1896, the fourth child of James Connolly, a socialist trade unionist, and Lillie Connolly (née Reynolds). The family moved to Belfast in 1911, and with her sister Nora the two joined the ‘Betsy Gray Sluagh’ of Fianna Éireann. Both sisters took part in the Howth gun-running in July 1914.

Together with her older sister Nora Connolly-O’Brien, Ina travelled on Easter Saturday to Coalisland, Tyrone to convene with Volunteers. News reached the sisters of Eoin MacNeill’s countermanding order while in Tyrone, and they returned to Dublin where they were ordered by Padraig H. Pearse to return to Tyrone to inform Volunteers that the planned action was to proceed.

While Nora returned to Coalisland, Ina was sent to Sixmilecross and Clogher where she participated in the moving of ammunition and medical supplies. On Friday of Easter week Ina and Nora decided to make efforts to return to Dublin by train, but after only succeeding in reaching Dundalk they elected to walk the remainder of the journey to Dublin. When they made it to the city centre the Rising had ended, and their father James Connolly was in critical condition from injuries sustained during the conflict.

Following the Rising and her father’s execution, Ina remained active in the republican movement. After spending sometime in London working with members of the Irish Republican Army and fundraising, Ina returned to Ireland in 1920 and took an anti-Treaty stance during the Civil War. In 1916 Ina married fellow veteran Archie Heron.

Ina Connolly-Heron died in April 1980, aged 84.

[Sources: Bureau of Military History (Military Archives), Ina Heron WS 919, Liz Gillies, Women of the Irish Revolution (2014), Uinseann MacEoin, Survivors (1980)].