For the second to last episode of Airbrushed, follow presenters Niamh Browne and Alana Daly-Mulligan as they explore the life of Irish nurse, republican and revolutionary Elizabeth O'Farrell.

Best known for delivering and negotiating the surrender in the 1916 Easter Rising, O'Farrell was born on November 5, 1883 in City Quay Dublin.

In 1906, she and her lifelong partner Julia Grenan joined Inghinidhe na hÉireann, before taking part in Cumin na mBan in 1914.

A committed revolutionary, O'Farrell acted as a dispatcher alongside Grenan before and during the Eater Rising, being sent around Dublin throughout the week with dispatches, food and ammunition. She also cared for the wounded and stayed at the GPO on the Friday of Easter week, despite women and wounded being evacuated from the GPO.

She was subsequently chosen by Pádraig Pearse to seek surrender terms from General Lowe, which she delivered and negotiated.

In a well-known photograph taken at the time of the surrender, Pearse is shown facing General Lowe at the top of Moore street. Although O'Farrell stepped back to let Pearse be at the forefront of the image, her feet were still visible in the original photograph - in subsequent reproductions, however, they were airbrushed out, leading to modern commentators referring to O'Farrell as having been "airbrushed from History."

Following her delivery of the order to surrender to the Volunteer and Citizen Army units in Four Courts, Lowe promised O'Farrell that she would not be held as prisoner. She was however sent to Dublin Castle hospital and subsequently to Kilmainham jail, although Lowe quickly got her out.

Following the rising, O'Farrell spent the rest of her life working as nurse and midwife at the National Maternity Hospital.

True to her Republican roots until the day she died, she was anti-treaty and never recognised the state, even refusing to apply for a military pension.

O'Farrell is buried in the Glasnevin Cemetery next to Julia Grenan in the republican plot.

Niamh Browne and Alana Daly Mulligan visiting Elizabeth O'Farrell's gravestone in Glasnevin cemetery. Copyright: Emily O'Brien

In this episode of Airbrushed, we discuss all this and more Dr Mary McAuliffe, historian, lecturer and director of Gender Studies in UCD, as well as the author of Richmond Barracks 1916: We Were There, 77 Women of the Easter Rising.

The fifth episode of Airbrushed is out now on the Hot Press Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Listen below: