Lily O'Brennan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Elizabeth ‘Lily’ O'Brennan
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| Born |
Elizabeth Mary Brennan
20 August 1878 Dublin, Ireland
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| Died | 31 May 1948 (aged 69) Dublin, Ireland
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| Nationality | Irish |
| Other names | Lily O'Brennan |
| Organization | Cumann na mBan |
| Relatives | Áine O'Brennan (sister) Kathleen O'Brennan (sister) Éamonn Ceannt(brother in law) |
Elizabeth ‘Lily’ O'Brennan (born August 20, 1878 – died May 31, 1948) was an important Irish woman. She was a writer and wrote plays. She also strongly believed in Ireland being a free country.
Contents
Early Life and Writing
Lily O'Brennan was born in Dublin, Ireland. She was the third daughter of Francis and Elizabeth Anne Brennan. Her family wanted Ireland to be independent. They later added the 'O' to their name.
Lily had two sisters, Áine and Kathleen. Áine married Éamonn Ceannt, a famous Irish leader. Kathleen became a writer and journalist.
Lily became a teacher. She wrote for magazines and newspapers in Ireland and America. In 1912, her play May Eve in Stephen's Green was performed in Dublin. People liked the play very much.
Working for Irish Independence
Lily O'Brennan was a founding member of Cumann na mBan. This was an organization for women who supported Irish independence. She attended their first meeting in Dublin.
When World War I started, Cumann na mBan members had to choose sides. Lily and her sisters decided not to support the British. They helped plan for the Easter Rising. This was a major event in 1916 when Irish rebels fought for independence.
Lily helped make the flag for the 4th Battalion of the Irish Volunteers. She also put together first aid kits. She carried secret messages for her brother-in-law, Éamonn Ceannt. She only found out about the Rising the night before it began.
During the Easter Rising
During the Easter Rising, Lily was stationed at the Marrowbone Lane distillery. She was under the command of Con Colbert. She stayed there for the whole week of fighting.
After the Rising ended, she was arrested with others. She was held in Richmond Barracks and Kilmainham Gaol. Lily was released on May 8, 1916. This was the same day her brother-in-law, Éamonn Ceannt, was executed.
After the Rising
After the Easter Rising, Lily continued her work for Ireland. She worked for the National Aid Association. This group helped families of those killed or imprisoned. She also found and marked the graves of those who died in the Rising.
In late 1917, Lily joined the main committee of Cumann na mBan. She also joined the committee of Sinn Féin. This was a political party working for Irish independence. In 1918, she helped recruit new members across Longford and Wicklow.
Treaty and Civil War
In 1921, Lily O'Brennan was a secretary for the Irish delegation. This group went to London to negotiate a treaty with Britain. Some people wanted her to be a main negotiator. However, she was seen as "too extreme" in her views.
She worked for Arthur Griffith, one of the Irish leaders, in 1922. Even though she was part of the group that negotiated the Anglo-Irish Treaty, Lily did not support it. She sided with the Anti-Treaty group during the Irish Civil War.
Lily worked at the Republican headquarters. She was secretary to Erskine Childers. In November 1922, she was arrested there. She was held in Mountjoy Prison and then Kilmainham Gaol. While in prison, she organized a special event. It was to remember the 7th anniversary of the Easter Rising. She was later moved to the North Dublin Union. She tried to escape but was not successful. She was released a few weeks later in May 1923.
Later Life and Legacy
Lily O'Brennan continued to write. She used the pen name ‘Esther Graham’. In 1929, she wrote a novel called The call to arms: a tale of the land league. In 1947, she helped start the Catholic Writers Guild.
Lily O'Brennan lived in Churchtown, County Dublin. She passed away on May 31, 1948. She was buried in Deansgrange cemetery. Her important papers are kept at the University College Dublin Archives.
