Dr. Gertrude Brice Kelly (1862–1934) was a pioneering Irish-American surgeon, anarchist, and fervent advocate for Irish independence and social justice. Born in Carrick-on-Suir (although Waterford County Museum claims she was born on their side of the river), she emigrated to the U.S. at age 11 due to her father’s involvement in the Fenian movement when the family was living in Clonmel.
In the US, she became one of New York’s first female surgeons after abandoning a career in education. She worked in the slums of Newark, New Jersey, and in the tenements of New York’s Lower East Side, where she frequently assisted poor patients. Her experience of the poverty and deprivation of the area undoubtedly contributed to the development of her radical political views.
Consequently, Kelly’s activism extended far beyond medicine.She was a radical anarchist, feminist, and prolific writer, contributing to influential journals like Liberty and Irish World. Her writings challenged capitalism, state authority, and gender norms, arguing that women’s liberation was inseparable from broader human freedom.
She played a key role in Irish nationalist movements in America, including the Ladies Land League, Cumann na mBan, and the Irish Progressive Party. She organized protests, strikes, and pickets—including the first purely political strike in U.S. history—to support Irish independence and oppose British imperialism.
Despite her significant contributions, Kelly’s legacy has been obscured—possibly due to her atheism, radical politics, and non-conformity to traditional gender roles. Yet her impact was profound: she was mourned by the poor she served, honoured by the Irish government, and commemorated with the Gertrude B. Kelly Playground in New York City.
Sources:
https://www.dib.ie/biography/kelly-gertrude-brice-a4452-a
Geoffrey Cobb, ‘Forgotten Legacies of Dr. Gertrude B. Kelly’ in New York Irish History Roundtable Journal, Vol. 32 -02 (2018) pp 12-19.
