Elizabeth "Lily" Mernin (16 November 1886 – 18 February 1957) was an Irish

intelligence agent Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering, as a subfield of the intelligence field, is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information (intelligence). A person who commits espionage on a mission-specific contract is called an ''e ...

known as the "Little Gentleman" or "Lt. G.".

Life

Elizabeth Mernin was born in

Dungarvan Dungarvan () is a coastal town and harbour in County Waterford, on the south-east coast of Ireland. Prior to the merger of Waterford County Council with Waterford City Council in 2014, Dungarvan was the county town and administrative centre of ...

, County Waterford on 16 November 1886. Her parents were John Mernin and Mary (née McGuire). She had one sister, May. Her father was a baker and confectioner in Waterford. After his death when Mernin was young, the children were raised by his family in Dungarvan. In the 1910s, Mernin worked as a typist in a number of Dublin companies, and by 1914 she was a

shorthand Shorthand is an abbreviated symbolic writing method that increases speed and brevity of writing as compared to Cursive, longhand, a more common method of writing a language. The process of writing in shorthand is called stenography, from the Gr ...

typist in

Dublin Castle Dublin Castle () is a major Government of Ireland, Irish government complex, conference centre, and tourist attraction. It is located off Dame Street in central Dublin. It is a former motte-and-bailey castle and was chosen for its position at ...

at the garrison adjutant's office. She was a member of the Keating branch of the

Gaelic League (; historically known in English as the Gaelic League) is a social and cultural organisation which promotes the Irish language in Ireland and worldwide. The organisation was founded in 1893 with Douglas Hyde as its first president, when it eme ...

, and through this her cousin,

Piaras Béaslaí Piaras Béaslaí (; 15 February 1881 – 22 June 1965) was an Irish author, playwright, biographer and translator, who was a member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood, fought in the Easter Rising and served as a member of Dáil Éireann. Early ...

, introduced her to

Michael Collins Michael Collins or Mike Collins most commonly refers to: * Michael Collins (Irish leader) (1890–1922), Irish revolutionary leader, soldier, and politician * Michael Collins (astronaut) (1930–2021), American astronaut, member of Apollo 11 and Ge ...

in 1918. From 1919 she began working for Collins as an intelligence agent. She used her position in Dublin Castle to obtain important documents and, in 1920, intelligence on British intelligence officers and the auxiliary police. Under the alias of "Little Gentleman" or "Lt. G.", she was one of Collins' most important agents, so much so that many believed the Little Gentleman was a British intelligence officer. One of the most important contributions Mernin made was identifying the homes of British intelligence officers who were later killed on

Bloody Sunday Bloody Sunday may refer to: Historical events Canada * Bloody Sunday (1923), a day of police violence during a steelworkers' strike for union recognition in Sydney, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia * Bloody Sunday (1938), police violence agai ...

, 21 November 1920, by Collins' squad. She aided Frank Saurin and

Tom Cullen Thomas Cullen (born 17 July 1985) is a Welsh actor and director. He had roles in the independent film ''Weekend'' (2011), as Anthony Foyle, Viscount Gillingham in the television series ''Downton Abbey'', and as Sir Landry in the historical dr ...

in identifying senior British agents in Dublin, typing secret reports for Collins in a room in 19 Clonliffe Road. In February 1922, she was discharged from the British service, taking up a position as a typist in the

Irish Army The Irish Army () is the land component of the Defence Forces (Ireland), Defence Forces of Republic of Ireland, Ireland.The Defence Forces are made up of the Permanent Defence Forces – the standing branches – and the Reserve Defence Forces. ...

from July 1922 until February 1952, when she retired. She worked primarily at Clancy Barracks. Mernin was awarded a military pension for her service from 1918-1922, and her statement is held in the Bureau of Military History in the Military Archives. Mernin never married, although she gave birth to a son in London in June 1922, with some evidence suggesting Béaslaí was the father. She lived at 167 Mangerton Road,

Drimnagh Drimnagh () is a suburb in Dublin, Ireland. It lies to the south of the city between Walkinstown, Crumlin and Inchicore, bordered by the Grand Canal to the north and east. Drimnagh is in postal district Dublin 12. Drimnagh is in a townland ...

. She died on 18 February 1957 in Dublin aged 70.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mernin, Elizabeth 1886 births 1957 deaths People from Dungarvan People of the Irish War of Independence Women in war 1900–1945 Women in war in Ireland