Eva O'Flaherty facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Eva O'Flaherty
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| Born |
Eva O’Flaherty
31 March 1874 |
| Died | 17 April 1963 (aged 89) |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Known for | Activist, arts patron, milliner |
Eva O'Flaherty (born March 31, 1874 – died April 17, 1963) was an amazing Irish woman. She was a strong supporter of Irish independence, a fashion designer (called a milliner) in London, and a friend to many artists. She is especially remembered for starting a successful knitting business on Achill Island, which helped many local women find work.
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Eva O'Flaherty's Early Life and Family
Eva O'Flaherty was born in a place called Lisdonagh House in County Galway, Ireland. Her parents, Martin O'Flaherty and Mary Frances Barbara O'Gorman Lalor O'Gorman, were very proud of their Irish heritage. They strongly believed in Ireland becoming an independent country.
Eva came from a family deeply involved in Irish history. Her father helped defend John Mitchel in a famous trial in 1848. Her mother's father, Richard O'Gorman, worked with a very important Irish leader named Daniel O'Connell. Eva's uncle, Richard, was part of a group called the Young Irelanders. This shows that fighting for Ireland's freedom was a big part of her family's story.
Eva's Education and Travels
When Eva was young, she lived in Limerick. She went to two schools, Mount Anville Secondary School and Alexandra College. After finishing school, Eva decided to go to Paris, France. There, she studied how to make hats, which is called millinery. In Paris, she met and became good friends with Constance Markievicz, another famous Irish woman who fought for independence. Later, Eva opened her own hat shop in London, England.
Supporting Ireland and Helping Achill Island
In 1910, Eva O'Flaherty moved to Achill Island in Ireland. This was a big change from city life in Paris and London! On Achill, she started something very special called St Colman’s Knitting Industries. These businesses were in a village called Dooagh. They gave jobs to many local women for fifty years, helping families on the island.
Eva also helped start Scoil Acla, a school that taught Irish culture, music, and language. She worked with others like Darrell Figgis to create it. Unlike some of the other founders, Eva chose to live on Achill Island for the rest of her life.
Eva's Role in the Nationalist Movement
Eva O'Flaherty was deeply involved in the movement for Irish independence. By 1914, she joined a group called Cumann na mBan, which was a women's organization that supported Irish nationalism. During the Easter Rising in 1916, a major event in Ireland's fight for freedom, Eva played a brave role. She was part of a group known as "basket women." They carried important messages around the city on their bicycles, helping the leaders of the Rising. Eva stayed friends with many of her fellow nationalists throughout her life.
Connecting with Artists and Writers
After the Easter Rising, Eva returned to Achill Island. Because she had lived in Paris and London, she knew many famous artists and writers. These connections meant that important people often came to visit her on Achill. Artists like Paul Henry and Marie Howet and writers such as Heinrich Böll and Graham Greene would visit Eva. Her home became a place where creative people could meet and share ideas.
Eva O'Flaherty's Legacy
Eva O'Flaherty passed away on April 17, 1963, when she was 89 years old. Her funeral was a very important event. The President of Ireland at the time, Éamon de Valera, sent a special representative, Senator Mark Killilea, to speak about Eva. She was buried in Donaghpatrick graveyard. Her coffin was covered with the Irish flag, and she received military honors, showing how much she was respected.
In 2012, a book about Eva O'Flaherty's life was written by Mary J. Murphy. There is also a portrait of Eva, painted in 1947 by Derek Hill, which is kept in the Hugh Lane collection. These things help us remember Eva O'Flaherty and her important contributions to Ireland.
