Elizabeth Somers facts for kids

Elizabeth Somers was an important Irish woman who lived from 1881 to 1934. She was a writer and worked to help Irish businesses grow. She also supported Irish independence, meaning she wanted Ireland to be a self-governing country.

Elizabeth Somers' Early Life

Elizabeth Somers was born in Waterford city, Ireland, on October 14, 1881. Her father, William Somers, worked as a post office engineer. Her mother was Elizabeth Walsh. Elizabeth had at least three brothers.

Her family moved to Cork city in 1883. There, Elizabeth went to a convent school. When she was young, she wrote for a children's magazine called St. Patrick's. She even won prizes for her writing!

Moving to Belmullet

In 1891, Elizabeth's father passed away. Her mother then became the postmistress in Whitegate, County Cork. The family moved again in 1901 to Belmullet, County Mayo. Her mother worked there as postmistress until 1908.

Elizabeth saw a lot of poverty in Belmullet. She wanted to help, so she became a "poor law guardian." This meant she helped manage aid for people in need.

Writing for Irish Causes

Elizabeth became a strong supporter of Sinn Féin. This was a political party that wanted Ireland to be independent. She wrote many articles for journals run by Arthur Griffith, a leader of Sinn Féin.

She often used her Irish name, Lasarfhiona Ní Shamhraidin, as her pen name. Sometimes she just used Lasarfhiona. She also wrote for The Mayo News and had a regular column in the Irish Peasant called "An grianán."

Working for Irish Independence

In 1908, Elizabeth moved to Dalkey, County Dublin, with her mother. Her mother became the postmistress there. Elizabeth became very active in groups that supported Irish culture and independence.

She was a member of The Gaelic League, which promoted the Irish language. She also supported Cumann na mBan and the Irish Volunteers. These groups worked for Irish freedom. Elizabeth became the secretary of her local Cumann na mBan group.

Standing Up for Ireland

During World War I, Elizabeth spoke out against Irish people joining the British Army. Because of this, her mother lost her job as postmistress in 1915. This was a big deal because her mother was the first civil servant to lose her job for supporting Irish independence.

Elizabeth worked hard to get her mother's job back. She wrote many letters to Matthew Nathan, a government official. Her mother was finally rehired after the war ended.

Elizabeth's brother, D.C. Somers, was involved in the Easter Rising in 1916. This was an important rebellion against British rule. He was sentenced to five years in prison and lost his job. This caused financial hardship for the family. Both D.C. and another brother, Michael, fought in the IRA during the Irish War of Independence. Elizabeth herself gave speeches and raised money for Sinn Féin starting in 1917.

Supporting Irish Businesses

In 1917, Elizabeth became the secretary of the Dublin Industrial Development Association. This group later became the National Agricultural and Industrial Development Association (NAIDA). NAIDA was a group that supported small Irish businesses. They wanted to protect Irish industries so they could grow.

Elizabeth managed a permanent exhibition of Irish products at the NAIDA offices. She was the main public face and manager of NAIDA until she passed away. Seán Lemass, who was a government minister, called her the "directing spirit" of NAIDA. He praised her "heroic work."

Elizabeth started the "Buy Irish" campaigns. These campaigns encouraged people to buy products made in Ireland. She wanted Irish industries to expand and develop. Elizabeth did not agree with the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921, which set up the Irish Free State. She then supported Fianna Fáil, another political party.

Elizabeth lived with her mother and her unmarried brother, Michael. In 1931, she developed heart disease. She sadly passed away suddenly from a heart attack on December 28, 1934.]