Bridget Dirrane facts for kids

Bridget Dirrane (born 15 November 1894 – died 31 December 2003) was an amazing Irish nurse who lived a very long life, reaching 109 years old! She also wrote a book about her memories.

Early Life in Ireland

Bridget Dirrane was born on 15 November 1894 in a place called Oatquarter, on Inishmore, one of the beautiful Aran Islands in County Galway, Ireland. She was the youngest of eight children. Her father was a weaver, making cloth, and they also had a small farm.

Life was not always easy. Her oldest brother, a fisherman, died when he was only 21, and her father passed away before 1911. But despite these challenges, all the children went to school. One of her brothers even became an Irish teacher! At home, the family spoke Irish, but they could all speak English too.

Bridget went to school until she was 14. After that, she worked in local homes, helping to look after children. Later in life, when she wrote her memories, Bridget said she met important Irish leaders like Joseph Plunkett, Éamonn Ceannt, Thomas MacDonagh, Thomas Ashe, and Patrick Pearse. They visited a house where she worked and talked about their plans for Irish freedom, including the Easter Rising.

Bridget strongly believed in Irish independence. In 1918, she joined Cumann na mBan, which was a women's group that supported the fight for Irish freedom. She helped by taking part in training and assisting people who were hiding from the authorities. Because her family supported Irish independence, their homes were sometimes searched by the Black and Tans, a British police force at the time.

A Nurse and Activist

In 1919, Bridget moved to Dublin to train as a nurse at St Ultan's Hospital. Even there, the authorities watched her. She was arrested while working as a nurse in a house and was held in Dublin Bridewell for two days. Then, she was moved to Mountjoy. She was held in prison without being charged or put on trial.

Bridget refused to speak English to the guards, which made them angry. She went on a hunger strike for several days in 1920 until she was finally released. She also took part in a protest outside Mountjoy Prison in November 1920, when a young Irish rebel named Kevin Barry was executed.

After her release, she worked in the house of Richard Mulcahy, another important figure in Irish history, for two years.

Life in America

In 1927, Bridget decided to move to the United States to continue her nursing career. She settled in Boston, where she was very active in the Irish community. She connected with other Irish people who had moved there, including some of her old neighbours from the Aran Islands and relatives.

For a while, she worked in a hotel, but she soon returned to nursing. In November 1932, she married Edward 'Ned' Dirrane in Boston. Ned was also from Inishmore and worked as a labourer. Sadly, Ned died in 1940 from heart problems. Bridget continued her nursing career, working in hospitals and as a district nurse, visiting patients in their homes.

On 13 May 1940, she officially became a US citizen. During World War II, she used her nursing skills to help the war effort, working in a factory that made ammunition and at a US Army Air Forces bomber base in Mississippi.

Bridget was also involved in politics. In 1960, she helped campaign for John F. Kennedy among the Irish community in South Boston when he ran for president. Years later, in 1997, Jean Kennedy Smith, John F. Kennedy's sister, visited Bridget in Galway to thank her for her help. Bridget also met Senator Edward Kennedy, another famous member of the Kennedy family.

Later Years and Legacy

After she retired, Bridget lived with her nephew for a while. In 1966, at the age of 72, she returned to her beloved Aran Islands. There, she lived with her brother-in-law, Pat Dirrane, who was a widower. They married in a private ceremony on 27 April 1966.

Bridget continued to live on the island even after Pat's death in 1990, staying with her stepson. Eventually, she moved into a nursing home in Newcastle, near Galway. When she turned 100, she used her own money to fund a statue of Our Lady Mary at a special holy well on Inishmore.

When she was 103, the head of her nursing home helped her share her life story. A local writer named Jack Mahon recorded Bridget's memories and put them into a book called A Woman of Aran. The book was published in 1997 and became a bestseller for several weeks!

In May 1998, NUI Galway gave Bridget an honorary degree, an MA honoris causa. She was the oldest person ever to receive one! Bridget Dirrane passed away on 31 December 2003, at the age of 109, in Galway. She was buried on her home island of Inishmore.