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Grace Gifford Plunkett and Irish Freedom: Tragic Bride of 1916
112 pages.
112 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 3, 2011
By the light of two guttering candles in Kilmainham Gaol’s Roman Catholic chapel, Grace Gifford married her fiance Joseph Mary Plunkett hours before his execution by firing squad. In doing so, Grace became forever linked with Ireland’s struggle for independence, because her husband was one of the signatories of the Proclamation of Independence. So begins Marie O’Neill’s biography of the woman who “became a powerful symbolic figure of the republican ideal for which her husband had given his life.�
Twenty-eight-year old Grace, the daughter of a Dublin solicitor, was second youngest in a family of twelve children. Born into a prosperous home, Grace and her siblings were surrounded with comforts, a wide circle of friends, and educational opportunities. Grace, a gifted artist, chose to study at the Dublin Metropolitan School of Art, then continued her studies in London, and finally returning to Dublin to begin a career as a caricaturist. A chance meeting with an Irish journalist in London introduced grace and her sisters to a broadening circle of friends, including the poet and painter known as AE, William Butler Yeats, Constance Markievicz, and Maude Gonne. The opening of St. Enda’s brought them in contact with the future leaders of 1916.
Raised a Protestant, Grace’s increasing interest in her father’s faith also led to a deepening friendship with Joseph Plunkett, whom she met at St. Enda’s in late 1914 or early 1915. By winter 1915, the couple was secretly engaged and planned an Easter wedding following Grace’s baptism into the Catholic faith.
Through the War of Independence and the Civil War, Grace barely made ends meet. A lifelong Republican, Grace was never a member of Cumann na mBan, the women’s auxiliary organization that worked to support the Volunteers. Still, she was arrested and served time in Kilmainham Gaol, along with other Republican women.
After her release, Grace, who remained a widow for the rest of her life, struggled to make a living from her art. Many times she was reduced to poverty, and life only became easier after Eamon deValera and his party came into power and she received a civil list pension.
Grace continued to draw, and her cartoons showed an incisive wit. Quiet and moody, she remained in Dublin, working until her health began to fail. She died in 1955, presumably from heart failure. She was accorded a funeral with full military honors.
O’Neill’s biography is a sensitive portrayal of a little known woman in a generation of extraordinary Irish men and women. Her history is important so the world can remember Grace Gifford Plunkett, a quiet woman whose immense talent and charm make her more than simply the “tragic bride of 1916.�
Twenty-eight-year old Grace, the daughter of a Dublin solicitor, was second youngest in a family of twelve children. Born into a prosperous home, Grace and her siblings were surrounded with comforts, a wide circle of friends, and educational opportunities. Grace, a gifted artist, chose to study at the Dublin Metropolitan School of Art, then continued her studies in London, and finally returning to Dublin to begin a career as a caricaturist. A chance meeting with an Irish journalist in London introduced grace and her sisters to a broadening circle of friends, including the poet and painter known as AE, William Butler Yeats, Constance Markievicz, and Maude Gonne. The opening of St. Enda’s brought them in contact with the future leaders of 1916.
Raised a Protestant, Grace’s increasing interest in her father’s faith also led to a deepening friendship with Joseph Plunkett, whom she met at St. Enda’s in late 1914 or early 1915. By winter 1915, the couple was secretly engaged and planned an Easter wedding following Grace’s baptism into the Catholic faith.
Through the War of Independence and the Civil War, Grace barely made ends meet. A lifelong Republican, Grace was never a member of Cumann na mBan, the women’s auxiliary organization that worked to support the Volunteers. Still, she was arrested and served time in Kilmainham Gaol, along with other Republican women.
After her release, Grace, who remained a widow for the rest of her life, struggled to make a living from her art. Many times she was reduced to poverty, and life only became easier after Eamon deValera and his party came into power and she received a civil list pension.
Grace continued to draw, and her cartoons showed an incisive wit. Quiet and moody, she remained in Dublin, working until her health began to fail. She died in 1955, presumably from heart failure. She was accorded a funeral with full military honors.
O’Neill’s biography is a sensitive portrayal of a little known woman in a generation of extraordinary Irish men and women. Her history is important so the world can remember Grace Gifford Plunkett, a quiet woman whose immense talent and charm make her more than simply the “tragic bride of 1916.�
November 19, 2015
Grace Gifford is best known for marrying Joseph Plunket four hours before he was executed for his part in the 1916 Easter Rising for Irish freedom, becoming known as the tragic bride of 1916. An artist in her own right, Grace met Joseph through her sister who was married to Thomas McDonagh, Joseph's friend and fellow revolutionary. She became involved in politics along with her other sisters and worked tirelessly for Irish free rule. She was sentenced to prison on several occasions, suffering harsh treatment along with other female supporters of a free Ireland. Throughout her life, she never remarried, was reduced to poverty at times as her ability to work was taken away from her. She supported herself through her artistic caricatures, a small government stipend, and by the help of friends. When she died in 1955, she was buried with full military honors, finally recognized for her patriotism. This is a story worth reading of one woman's strength and determination to follow her beliefs against incredible odds.
January 21, 2021
Nicely written, explains history well, seems a kindly woman
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