Anna Kelly facts for kids

Anna Kelly (born 8 January 1891 – died 14 June 1958) was an important Irish journalist. She was the first person to edit a "women's page" in a newspaper in Ireland.

Early Life of Anna Kelly

Anna Kelly was born Annie Christina Fitzsimmons on January 8, 1891. Her birthplace was Ballysadare, a town in County Sligo, Ireland. She was one of four children. Her father, James Fitzsimmons, was a police officer. He later became a farmer. Anna had two brothers and one sister. Later in life, Anna and her brothers changed their last name to Fitzsimons.

Anna went to a convent school when she was young. Around 1910, she moved to Dublin. There, she worked temporary secretarial jobs.

Anna Kelly's Career Journey

Starting in Journalism

One of Anna's first jobs was as a typist. She worked for a famous writer named George Moore. He paid her more than her agency did. Through Moore, Anna met many important people. These people were part of the Irish literary revival. She also worked for a publishing company called Maunsel.

Role in Irish History

Even though her family didn't approve, Anna joined a group called Cumann na mBan. This was a women's organization. She helped out at the GPO during the Easter Rising. This was a big event in Irish history.

In 1917, Anna started working for Sinn Féin. This was a political party. She was a secretary and assistant to the party's general secretary. She took notes at many important meetings. She even prepared notes for the first meeting of the Dáil Éireann in 1919.

Anna also worked for Michael Collins. He was a key leader in Ireland. She helped him prepare information for foreign reporters. She also helped create the Irish Bulletin. This was a news sheet for the Dáil. She did all this during the dangerous Irish War of Independence. During this time, people often called her "Miss Fitz" or "Fitzie."

Imprisonment and Release

During the Irish Civil War, Anna worked on a newspaper called Republican War News. This paper was against the treaty. Because of this, she was arrested in late 1922. She was held in different prisons. These included Mountjoy and Kilmainham. She even went on a hunger strike. She later escaped from the North Dublin Union prison. But she was caught again in May 1923. After the fighting stopped, she was released.

Working at The Irish Press

Anna worked as a freelance journalist in the 1920s. In 1931, a new newspaper called The Irish Press started. Anna joined its staff. She became the first women's page editor in Ireland. She wrote articles and had her own column called Kelly's corner. In this column, she reviewed social events. She also traveled around Ireland. She wrote popular stories about different villages and towns.

Anna often went to Geneva to report on meetings. These were meetings of the League of Nations. She also helped the Irish group led by Éamon de Valera. In 1935, she left the Press for a short time to protest. But she soon returned.

In 1938, Anna visited Germany. She even interviewed Adolf Hitler. Later, she got in trouble for a funny story she wrote. It was about a garden party hosted by President Douglas Hyde. She compared his mustache to animals at the zoo.

Anna became unhappy with de Valera's policies. She was fired from the Press after writing an article against the government in the 1950s. She then worked for other newspapers, like the Sunday Express. In 1947, during a very cold winter, Anna visited a poor area in Dublin. She stood in a fuel line to report on how people were suffering.

Anna Kelly's Family Life

During a truce in the fighting, Anna married Francis M. Kelly. People called him Frank. He also worked for Sinn Féin. They got married on July 23, 1921. Frank was a friend of Michael Collins. He was also involved in Irish nationalist groups. He fought in the GPO in 1916. He later helped Michael Collins with an escape from prison.

Frank was against the treaty. He briefly edited the Republican War News before being captured. He was also an artist. He drew pictures of many important people of his time.

After the Civil War, the Kellys had a poultry farm for a while in Bray. In 1932, Frank became a civil servant. This meant he worked for the government.

Anna and Frank had two daughters, Nancy and Ruth. Anna Kelly passed away from cancer on June 14, 1958. She died at her home in Dublin.