Love Transcripts: The Hidden Lesbian Love Letters of Dr Kathleen Lynn

Sarah Lester

Upon entering the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI) and walking through its halls, the most prominent thing that I observed were the walls decorated with paintings, plaques, and mementos that honored male medical practitioners in Irish history. Visual acknowledgment of any female fellows who dedicated their lives to Irish healthcare was virtually nonexistent. I sat down in the basement of the building to begin my own historical research of one of the few female fellows of the RCPI in the early 1900s, Dr Kathleen Lynn (1874-1955).^[1] Opening her transcribed diaries, I sifted through the pages searching for any and every slight reference to Lynn’s lifelong partner, Madeleine ffrench-Mullen (1880-1944). Because there, within the walls of this historically male-dominated institution, is one of the most prolific lesbian love stories in Irish history.

Most scholars of Kathleen Lynn focus on her work as a female medical practitioner, revolutionary, and political activist. They highlight that Lynn was commander of a rebel garrison at Dublin City Hall during the 1916 Easter Rising.^[2] She also joined the Irish Citizens Army (ICA) and became the chief medical officer, where she taught first aid to other revolutionary groups, such as the Cumann na mBan.^[3] Additionally they highlight her establishment of St. Ulnan’s Hospital for infants in Dublin’s City Centre, her fellowship in the RCPI, and her creation of the first children’s immunization program. Within these accounts, a select few briefly mention Lynn’s relation to another female revolutionary during the Irish Revolution, Madeleine ffrench-Mullen. Typically scholars describe the two as “close friends” or “confidantes” and say little else about their lifelong partnership.^[4]

These brief mentions of Lynn’s relationship with ffrench-Mullen have inspired a separate circle of historians to delve further into their personal connection. Roy Foster states in his book that they had “all the hallmarks of a marriage,” as it was known that they lived together beginning in 1915 until ffrench-Mullen’s death in 1944.^[5] Mary McAuliffe dove further into Madeleine ffrench-Mullen and Kathleen Lynn’s relationship when editing The Diaries of Kathleen Lynn.^[6] McAuliffe notes that in the journal of Rosamund Jacob, a friend of both Lynn and ffrench-Mullen, Jacob mentions that neither member of the couple “had any use at all for men,” in reference not only to their domestic life together, but also their sexual preferences and pleasure.^[7] McAuliffe also emphasizes a plethora of quotes from Lynn’s diaries that provide evidence of a relation that is deeper than a friendship between these two women revolutionaries.

Historical research on both Lynn’s professional experiences as a physician, as well as her personal experiences as a lesbian Irish woman, provide valuable insight into different aspects of Kathleen Lynn’s life; however, there is little crossover between the two topics. I utilize Lynn’s personal diaries to highlight the intersection between her revolutionary and professional practice, and her personal and sexual identity. She masks the majority of her references to Madeleine using abbreviations, a common shorthand practice among medical professionals. Through this intersection of identities, Kathleen Lynn used the veil of her class, position, and training as a medical professional to keep her memories of, and love for, Madeleine ffrench-Mullen “hidden” – and preserved – within the pages of her diaries.

Lynn was also not the first diarist who used code to mask her romance with another woman. For example, Anne Lister (1791-1840), an English diarist and one of the first modern lesbians, went so far as to create her own secret language called “crypthand” using mathematical, Greek, and Latin symbols to describe in intimate detail her sexual and romantic relations with other women.^[8] While not as intricate or cryptic as Lister, Lynn’s use of abbreviations and references is unique in its own special way, and is the shorthand of a medical practitioner. Lynn frequently utilized single letter abbreviations and short mnemonics, which are common practices in medical documentation and rapid recall during clinical examination. Within Lynn’s diaries, she referenced Madeleine ffrench-Mullen in a multitude of ways. The two most common were the abbreviations of “M” and “M ffM”. Of the less common variations were “Ms. ffM” or simply “Madeleine.”^[9] With this knowledge, it may appear that uncovering references to ffrench-Mullen and Lynn’s life together would be simple, but this is not the case. Lynn uses the same “M” abbreviation to refer to multiple individuals, including her brother and another woman who worked with Lynn in the hospital. The endeavor is made even more difficult by the fact that the “M” who works in the hospital with Lynn was also named Madeline. Thus it becomes a tedious operation to decode abbreviations that truly are in reference to Lynn’s life partner Madeleine ffrench-Mullen, requiring a heavy reliance on context clues and interpretation.

With this knowledge in mind, I uncovered numerous stories that illustrate the beautiful picture of Lynn and ffrench-Mullen’s romantic life-long relationship. Lynn began her diary entries in 1916. At that time, Lynn and ffrench-Mullen were imprisoned together at Kilmainham Prison for their revolutionary efforts in the Easter Rising, until Lynn was moved to Montjoy Prison.^[10] She wrote in one of her first diary entries, “Mjoy [Montjoy Prison] clean & comfortable, but I’d give £10,000 for Kilmainham and Madeleine.”^[11] In their budding romance, ffrench-Mullen’s presence was comforting for Lynn during a tumultuous time. That would be true consistently throughout Lynn’s lifetime of diary entries. One of the ways in which Lynn expressed her fondness for ffrench-Mullen was through her entries written while the two of them were apart. On March 4th, 1921, she stated that “it is lonely in no. 9 without Madeleine,” no. 9 being the apartment that Lynn and ffrench-Mullen shared together.^[12] On January 7th, 1926, Lynn stated, “so lonely without Madeleine. I miss her every turn.” On June 12th, 1932, she noted “M ffM getting anxious when we didn’t turn up last night.” Both strong examples of the emotional connection they shared, these also highlight Lynn’s use of varying terms to reference ffrench-Mullen.^[13]

Not only do Lynn’s diaries strategically illustrate her emotional connection to ffrench-Mullen, but they also provide subtle accounts of their physical relations and intimacy. On January 28th, 1932, Kathleen’s 58th birthday, she recorded that Madeleine “grussed her at midnight.”^[14] In German, this term is used to describe an affectionate greeting, and can be paired with the German term “Kuss” which translates to kiss. By reading through the lines of this entry, another of Lynn’s sly tactics is revealed, highlighting the subtle documentation of an intimate physical moment shared with ffrench-Mullen. In addition, there are many entries that further signal Lynn and ffrench-Mullen sharing the same bed throughout their lifetime together. On December 16th, 1928, Lynn stated that “M ffM missed me v. much & was restless & nervy last night.”^[15] Lynn being able to record how ffrench-Mullen had slept that night, as well as her emotions during the evening, signal that they must have spent this night together. Another example of this is present on April 22nd, 1944, when Lynn stated “M ffM was just starting an asthmatic attack before we went to sleep” [emphasis added].^[16] The word choice of “we” implies that they were most likely sleeping together, further exemplifying a subtle description of a relationship that was more than just friends.

Their relationship is further accentuated through Lynn’s entries before and after ffrench-Mullen’s death. As ffrench-Mullen’s health began to deteriorate, Lynn devoted the majority of her time to caring for her. Updates on her health are present almost every single day in Lynn’s 1944 diary. On January 12th, 1944, Lynn stated, “M ffM had improved but had been v. bad. She looked so fragile when I saw her, poor M”.^[17] On January 27th, 1944, she described “I wasn’t long in Teac, hurried back in case M. wanted me.”^[18] These quotes highlight that Lynn’s life was centered around ensuring that ffrench-Mullen was taken care of, as there was nothing more important to Lynn than the health of her lifelong lover. After ffrench-Mullen’s passing on May 26th, 1944, we can see through Lynn’s entries just how much this impacted her life and how often ffrench-Mullen was included within her writing. On August 19th, 1944 Lynn stated, “I miss her now more than ever & still she is so near & helps so beautifully.”^[19] On May 25th, 1945, Lynn also wrote, “I was going over this day last year, dearest M is not far & then she is well & happy now. How contentedly she nestled down, close to me while I sat beside her with her head on my shoulder. It is a perfectly happy memory.”^[20] Again on February 19th, 1945, Lynn recorded that “God and M ffM help us well.”^[21] Not only do these entries highlight that ffrench-Mullen was still on Lynn’s mind much after her passing, but also that she equated ffrench-Mullen as a being similar to God, subtly showing just how integral a figure ffrench-Mullen was for Lynn.

These quotes are just a small collection of examples from the larger work of Lynn’s diaries in which she consistently utilized her writing style as a medical professional to disguise her life of love with Madeleine ffrench-Mullen in abbreviations, shorthand, and subtle references. Lynn’s reliance on writing in medical shorthand within her personal diaries, where she also documented her medical experiences as a physician, was a deliberate way to encode her relationship with ffrench-Mullen. This practice illustrates how Lynn’s position as a medical practitioner influenced her personal and romantic life, emphasizing the beautiful interconnection of Kathleen Lynn’s professional and sexual identities and/or practices.

This love story is a beautiful example of a partnership between two Irish women who were not only trailblazers defying societal norms in their professional lives but also in their personal relationship with one another. In an Irish society where it was already difficult for women to ascend into highly respected professions, such as a physician, Lynn’s intersection of identities as a lesbian healing professional was especially unique. Her story can continue to be echoed today as we advocate for the acceptance of LGBTQ+ patients and practitioners in the healthcare system.

1. Harriet Wheelock, “The Kathleen Lynn Diaries,” RCPI Heritage Centre (2010), https://heritage.rcpi.ie/Whats-On/Blog/the-kathleen-lynn-diaries. This website talks about Kathleen Lynn’s diaries, including information about when she began writing, what she would write about, and why the diaries are kept at the RCPI. This source also notes how the RCPI employed an archivist to transcribe the entirety of the diaries; unpicking not only abbreviations and shorthand but also the tightly cramped longhand of a physician. Photos of her diaries highlight this cramped cursive writing within the website.
   

   Notes

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2. Tom Clonan, “The Forgotten Role of Women Insurgents in the 1916 Rising,” The Irish Times, 2006. ↑
3. Margaret Ó hÓgartaigh, Patrick Maume, and David Rooney, “Kathleen Lynn: 1874–1955,” In 1916 Portraits and Lives, edited by Lawrence William White and James Quinn, 147–50, Royal Irish Academy, 2015. ↑
4. Tom Clonan, 2006; Margaret Ó hÓgartaigh, 2015. ↑
5. R. F. Foster (Robert Fitzroy), Vivid Faces: The Revolutionary Generation in Ireland, 1890-1923, New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2015. ↑
6. Mary McAuliffe and Harriet Wheelock, 2023, The Diaries of Kathleen Lynn. ↑
7. RTÉ Brainstorm, 2025,“Who Were Ireland’s Queer Revolutionaries?”. ↑
8. Anya Hopkins, 2024, “Anne Lister: The Secret’s Out! — Explore Your Archive,” Explore Your Archive, March 6, 2024. ↑
9. Kathleen Lynn Diary, 1916-1955. ↑
10. Tom Clonan, 2006. ↑
11. Kathleen Lynn Diary May 10th, 1916. ↑
12. Kathleen Lynn Diary March 4th, 1921. ↑
13. Kathleen Lynn Diary January 7th, 1926; Kathleen Lynn Diary June 12th, 1932. ↑
14. Kathleen Lynn Diary January 28th, 1932. ↑
15. Kathleen Lynn Diary December, 16th 1928. ↑
16. Kathleen Lynn Diary April 22nd, 1944. ↑
17. Kathleen Lynn Diary January 12th, 1944. ↑
18. Kathleen Lynn Diary January 27th, 1944. ↑
19. Kathleen Lynn Diary August 19th, 1944. ↑
20. Kathleen Lynn Diary May 25th, 1945. ↑
21. Kathleen Lynn Diary February 19th, 1945. ↑

Featured image caption: Courtesy Peter Dyllong on Pexels.

Sarah Lester

Sarah is a Junior at St. Olaf College where she is majoring is Biology with a minor in Public Health. Sarah wrote this piece for her study abroad course, "Love and Sex in Modern Irish History," where she completed her own archival research of Kathleen Lynn's diary transcripts.