[1][2] Ffrench-Mullen's interest in politics started young, Her father was a committed Parnellite and their Dundrum home was a campaign headquarters.

[3] Ffrench-Mullen went on to join Inghinidhe na hÉireann, a radical nationalist women's group founded by Maud Gonne in 1900.

Suffragist values were central to Cumann na mBan's goal of standing side-by-side with men in the fight for the Irish Republic.

[4] Ffrench-Mullen was on the socialist wing of the moment, holding to the ideals of universal social equality of the syndicalist James Connolly and the Irish Citizen Army.

[1][2][5] In St Stephen's Green she was in command of the 15 Citizen Army women who set up a medical station and field kitchen.

[7] After the surrender of the College of Surgeons garrison ffrench-Mullen was one of the 77 women who had fought in the Rising who were imprisoned, among them her life partner Kathleen Lynn.

In the aftermath of WW1 many health problems had arisen including a rise in venereal diseases such as syphilis, carried from soldiers returning home from war.

[15] Many of Ireland's infants of the time suffered from congenital syphilis (inherited disease from mother at birth), and this was a driving factor in the opening of St Ultan's hospital.