Máire Wyse Power facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Máire Wyse Power
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| Born |
Maura Wyse Power
9 December 1887 Fairview, Dublin
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| Died | 19 July 1916 (aged 28) Sandycove, Dublin
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| Occupation | Scholar |
Maura "Máire" Wyse Power (born December 9, 1887 – died July 19, 1916) was a brilliant Irish scholar. She spent her life studying Celtic languages, which are old languages like Irish and Welsh. Máire was known for her important work on ancient Irish writings.
Contents
Máire Wyse Power: A Young Scholar's Story
Growing Up in Dublin
Maura "Máire" Wyse Power was born in Fairview, Dublin on December 9, 1887. Her family lived at 7 Royal Terrace, which is now called Inverness Road. She was one of four children.
Her parents, Jennie and John Wyse Power, were both active in Irish nationalist movements. This meant they worked to support Ireland's independence. Máire's younger sister, Nancy, also became a scholar of Celtic languages. The Wyse Power family was friends with the family of famous writer James Joyce. Some people believe Máire might have inspired a character in one of his early stories.
Education and Learning
Máire went to Loreto College, Stephen's Green, for her schooling. After that, she attended University College Dublin (UCD). At that time, only a small number of women were allowed to go to university. Máire was one of them.
She loved the Irish language, a passion she developed during family holidays. They often visited the Gaeltacht in Ring, County Waterford. This is an area where Irish is still the main language spoken. Máire, her sister, and her brother were all members of Conradh na Gaeilge. This group worked to promote the Irish language. In 1905, Máire even won a prize for her skills in Irish.
Máire graduated from UCD with top honors in Celtic studies. She then won a special scholarship to study abroad. She first went to the University of Marburg in Germany. Later, she studied at the University of Freiburg, learning from a famous scholar named Rudolf Thurneysen.
Her Important Work
In 1912, Máire completed a major project. She worked on an old Irish book from the 1400s that was about astronomy. Astronomy is the study of stars and planets. Her work was supervised by Osborn Bergin, another important scholar.
Her research was so good that the Irish Texts Society decided to publish it. In 1914, her book was released as An Irish Astronomical Tract. It included the original Irish text, an English translation, and her own notes. This book helped establish her as a respected Celtic scholar.
Later Life and Legacy
Máire worked as a part-time examiner for the Government Intermediate Board. This job helped her earn money while she continued her own research. In 1916, she temporarily lost her job. This happened because she was thought to support those involved in the 1916 Rising. The 1916 Rising was an important event in Ireland's fight for independence.
She was later given her job back. However, she worked very hard to make sure her examination results were perfect. This intense pressure is believed to have caused her health to decline.
Máire Wyse Power passed away on July 19, 1916, after a short illness. She was staying at a friend's home in Sandycove, Dublin at the time. She is buried in Glasnevin Cemetery. Her parents placed a special memorial plaque for her in University Church, St Stephen's Green. After her death, one of her articles was published. It was about old Irish historical poems from the Book of Lismore and appeared in a journal called Zeitschrift für celtische Philologie in 1917.
