Florence Vere O'Brien facts for kids

Florence Vere O'Brien (born Florence Mary Arnold; 3 July 1854 – 8 July 1936) was a British writer, helper of others, and skilled craftswoman. She is best known for starting two important craft schools in Ireland: The Limerick Lace School and Clare Embroidery.

Early Life and Family

Florence Mary Arnold was born in Bayswater, London, on 3 July 1854. She was the second of four children. Her father, William Delafield Arnold, was the son of a famous headmaster, Thomas Arnold, and the brother of the well-known poet, Matthew Arnold.

Florence's father worked in the Indian army and later became a director of public education in Punjab, India. Sadly, her mother passed away in India in 1858. Florence and her siblings were sent back to England in 1859. Their father planned to join them, but he became very ill and died on his journey home.

The children were then raised by their aunt, Jane, and her husband, William Edward Forster. William Forster was an important politician who later became the Chief Secretary for Ireland. The children grew so close to them that they decided to officially add "Forster" to their last name when they grew up.

A Young Writer and Traveler

From a young age, Florence loved to write letters and keep a diary. She was also a talented artist. When she was 14, she began traveling around Europe with her stepfather, William Forster.

Florence was very interested in politics, especially the Liberal Party in Britain. After visiting Budapest in 1876, she wrote a book about a Hungarian politician named Ferenc Deák. She published this book without her name on it in 1881.

Life in Ireland

Florence first visited Ireland for a holiday in 1878. In 1880, she returned when her stepfather, William Forster, became the Chief Secretary for Ireland. This was a very important job, like a main government leader for Ireland. Florence spent much of her time in Dublin during these two years. She met many important people and learned a lot about Irish politics and society.

Her journals, which were later published as "Florence Arnold-Forster's Irish Journal," give us a rare look into daily life in Ireland during a challenging time. They show her thoughts on politics, family, and society in both Victorian Britain and Ireland.

Florence moved to Ireland for good after marrying Robert (Robin) Vere O'Brien on 10 July 1883. Her husband worked in law and managed large estates in County Limerick. They had two daughters and two sons. The family lived in County Limerick for a while before moving to New Hall, near Ennis, County Clare, in 1890, and later to Ballyalla in 1898.

Helping the Lace Industry

When Florence moved to County Limerick, she noticed that the local lace-making industry was struggling. She decided to help. She found local lace makers and gave them high-quality materials and her own beautiful designs. Then, she helped them sell their work through her friends in Dublin and London.

Florence was key in starting the Private Committee for Promoting Irish Lace. This committee helped create a lace training school in Limerick in May 1889. Florence took over running the school in 1893.

In 1895, after her family moved to County Clare, she started a new project called Clare Embroidery. This was run from her home. A Scottish nurse named Mina Keppie helped her. They could train up to 15 girls at a time. By 1910, they were training as many as 27 girls!

Both the lace school and Clare Embroidery showed their beautiful work at art and craft shows. These shows were held in Ireland, Britain, and America from the 1890s to the 1920s. They won several awards at big world fairs in Chicago (1893) and St. Louis (1904). Even Queen Victoria and the Princess of Wales bought some of their work in 1900!

Later Life and Community Work

Besides her work with lace, Florence also cared about improving health care in County Clare. She was part of the Women's National Health Association. She also helped start a special health center called a sanitorium in Ballyalla in 1912. She also began the Ennis District Nursing Association, which provided nursing care to people in the area.

During and after World War I, Florence helped soldiers who had returned home to County Clare. She worked with the War Pensions Committee to support them.

In the early 1900s, the lace industry in Ireland began to decline. Because of this, The Limerick Lace School closed in 1922. However, Clare Embroidery continued to create beautiful pieces until Florence Vere O'Brien passed away on 8 July 1936, at Ballyalla.