Born: 1839, Ireland (assumed)
Died: 8 November 1889
Country most active: Ireland
Also known as: Lady Plunkett
This biography is republished from The Dictionary of Irish Biography and was written by Sinéad Sturgeon and Georgina Clinton. Shared by permission in line with Creative Commons ‘Attribution’ (CC BY) licencing.
Anne (‘Annie’) Lee Guinness (1839–89), philanthropist, was born in 1839, the only daughter of Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness. During her father’s restoration of St Patrick’s cathedral she became actively involved in alleviating the poverty and sickness endemic in the surrounding area. She sponsored Bible readings and basic medical provision, which expanded to become St Patrick’s nursing home (1876), an important training centre for Church of Ireland nurses. On 11 June 1863 she married William Conyngham Plunket, with whom she had four daughters and two sons. Plunket supported his wife’s work at St Patrick’s, and she assisted in many of his educational projects, notably the establishment of the Irish Clergy Daughters’ School (Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin) and the extension of Alexandra College. She suffered for much of her life from a degenerative illness and died 8 November 1889 at their home, Old Connaught House, Bray. She was buried in the Guinness family vault at Mount Jerome cemetery, and commemorated in St Patrick’s cathedral by a series of stained-glass windows depicting the works of Dorcas (or Tabitha), helper of the poor.