Sally McNally, widely regarded as Southern California’s beloved Irish midwife, was formally conferred as a Fellow of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (FFNMRCSI) recently, in recognition of her commitment to lifelong learning, professional excellence, and research in nursing and midwifery, that advances clinical practice and health systems improvement.
The RCSI was founded by a charter granted by England's King George III in 1784 and today is acknowledged as an innovative world-leading international health sciences university and research institution.
The RCSI Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery was founded by Mary Frances Crowley and colleagues in 1974. Miss Crowley served as first Dean of the Faculty, which has become a leading force in nursing/midwifery education, research, leadership and professional standards, celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2024.
Unique perhaps, in the context of the prevailing socio-political background of 1974, was Crowley’s vision that the faculty embrace the entire island of Ireland, with two founding members being from the Joint Nursing and Midwives Council of Northern Ireland.
McNally's conferral ceremony took place at RCSI’s historic Dublin campus and was followed by a Christmas reception held in the boardrooms of the RCSI historic building. The venue’s rich history was on full display, including many preserved bullet holes from the Easter Rising—an artifact not lost on McNally’s husband, John McNally, an avid history enthusiast.
The RCSI building was a pivotal location during the 1916 Rising, when Irish Volunteers including Constance Markievicz, occupied the college building which became the scene of fierce exchanges with British forces positioned in the Shelbourne Hotel across St. Stephen’s Green.
A statue of Markievicz the RCSI hallway commemorates that chapter of Irish history—made even more vivid by the reminder that the trees in the Green were far shorter a century ago, offering little cover during the fighting.
The Fellowship of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery RCSI (FFNMRCSI) is one of the most prestigious professional qualifications awarded to nurses, and the honor places McNally among an esteemed group of Fellows recognized for their lasting contributions to healthcare and education.
