Cumann na mBan was formed in 1914 as an Irish republican woman’s organisation to complement the Irish Volunteers. Approximately two hundred members of Cumann na mBan took part in the Easter Rising of 1916, the most famous example being Constance Markievicz, who was sentenced to death for her role in the Rising but was granted a reprieve on account of her being a woman. This song was written around the time of the Easter Rising to commemorate the efforts made by this valiant organisation.