The stories of transgender people are rarely recorded. The bigotry of wider society has garunteed few records are left as many transgender people have lived their lives in near total secrecy.

The Dubliner Patrick McCormack c.1821 – 1871 is the first transperson I have ever come across in records. Born around 1821 most of his life is obscure. A famine survivor, he worked as a labourer which was at best a precarious existance.

Around the age of 50 Patrick fell ill. In late feburary 1871 he left his home and went to the North Dublin Workhouse where he as admitted to the institution’s hospital.

He would only survive a few months dying in April 1871. However after his death it emerged Patrick had in fact been born a woman.

Little else is known about Patrick. Further investagation revealed that while he had been living in Castleknock for 30 years no was aware of Patrick’s life story. The details of Patrick’s story will probably remain a mystery. Records about his early life are lacking compounded by the fact we dont know his birth name or where he grew up.