Rose McNamara (10 September 1885 – 6 March 1957) was an Irish nationalist, republican, and Vice Commandant during the Easter Rising of 1916.

With them she marched in public parades, conducted demonstrations, learned to make field dressings and collected money for ammunition and equipment for the Irish Volunteers.

[2][3] On Good Friday 1916, in preparation for the Easter Rising McNamara and others of the Cumann made field dressings.

On the Monday her branch from Cumann na mBan were matched in full uniform to Emerald Square where they were given their instructions from Éamonn Ceannt.

[2][4][5][6][7] She spent the Rising with a number of roles, working as quartermaster for the men, acting as a spotter for the snipers and ensuring nursing facilities for the wounded.

McNamara, refused the opportunity to leave as part of the women who were considered less important to the British accepting the surrender and she and the rest of the Cumann na mBan marched between the male Volunteers and were duly arrested and imprisoned.

While they were in prison in Kilmainham Gaol they could hear the men being executed by firing squad as McBride had predicted.

[3] During the Irish War of Independence McNamara worked with the other women in collecting funds, attending funerals and other parades and in protesting at the gaols where prisoners were on hunger-strike.