Anna was born in Rosnamulteeny, Glenkeen in 1819.  She married a local lad, Timothy Harrington on 07/02/1837 in Borrisoleigh. They had three children born in Ireland before embarking as assisted migrants on the ship Chowringhee on 12/03/1852.  A fourth child Philip was born on board ship, 7 days into the voyage.  After a trip of 114 days they reached Hobson’s Bay, Melbourne. The trip had been marred by illness with 17 fatalities from Cholera and Fever.

Timothy and Anna made their way to Ballarat. Timothy worked as a mason and Anne was employed as a schoolteacher in Ballarat. 

The Gold Rush was in full flight. However, the government wanted it’s share. In order to dig a claim you had to purchase a licence. If you struck Gold the cost of the licence increased and had to be paid immediately.mIf this wasn't forthcoming, the stake was offered to one of the Government lackeys, thereby throwing the original claimant off their claim. The miners had no representation or means to right this wrong. In an act of protest, the miners burned their licence.

The Government responded by sending in the Police and Army to quell the unrest and enforce the licence. 

Timothy and Anna took part in the rebellion. Anna was one of three women mustered to accompany Father Smyth to the stockade . She made and hoisted a flag to advise the participants when mass services were being held. The miners mistakenly thought that Government Troops wouldn't attack on a Sunday so had spent the previous Saturday night carousing. 

The miners had built a crude defence perimeter, the Eureka Stockade. They were led by Peter Lalor, brother of James Fintan Lalor. However, the miners were no match for professional soldiers. They had few weapons and only makeshift Pikes and whatever digging implements were to hand. 

On Sunday morning, 03/12/1854, 276 soldiers and police approached the stockade and within 10 minutes, the one sided battle was over. Although official estimates state that 29 miners were killed against 6 Government forces, Reverend Taylor estimated as many as 50 were killed with many fleeing into the bush to later die of their wounds. 

In the middle of this Anna was tending to the dying & wounded. She was later to become Headteacher at St Alpius School in Ballarat and she was held in high regard by the locals.

Anna died in November 1906.