Mary Jane O'Donovan Rossa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mary Jane O'Donovan Rossa
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Pictured in 1915
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| Born |
Mary Jane Irwin
27 January 1845 |
| Died | 18 August 1916 (aged 71) |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Spouse(s) | Jeremiah O'Donovan Rossa |
Mary Jane O'Donovan Rossa was an amazing Irish poet and a strong political activist. She lived from 1845 to 1916 and worked hard to support her country.
Mary Jane's Early Life
Mary Jane Irwin was born in Clonakilty, County Cork, Ireland, on January 27, 1845. Her father, Maxwell Irwin, was a merchant and part of the Young Ireland movement. This group wanted to bring about political change in Ireland.
Mary Jane went to a boarding school called Sacred Heart Convent in Roscrea. She started writing poetry when she was just a child. On August 22, 1864, she married Jeremiah O'Donovan Rossa. Her husband was a leader in a secret group called the IRB. This group worked for Irish independence. Mary Jane and her husband had 13 children together.
Her Work as a Fenian
Mary Jane wrote poems for a newspaper called The Irish People. This newspaper supported the Fenians, who were Irish nationalists. She used pen names like "Cliodhna" and "M.J.I." to publish her work.
In 1865, the newspaper was shut down, and her husband was arrested. Mary Jane then became the secretary of a "ladies committee." This group collected money to help the families of Fenians who were in prison. They raised funds for almost 3,000 families!
In March 1867, Mary Jane left the committee. The police thought she might be using the money to help the IRB. She even wrote to William Ewart Gladstone, a powerful British politician, asking for her husband to be released. But she never received a reply.
Life in America
Her husband advised Mary Jane to move to New York City. A man named Richard Pigott paid for her trip. In America, she supported herself by giving speeches, writing, and teaching elocution (the art of clear speaking).
In 1868, her first and only book of poems, Irish lyrical poems, was published in New York. Her husband was released from prison in January 1871. He then joined her in New York. They lived there for 20 years. After their son Maxwell passed away in 1893, the family moved to Staten Island.
Later Years and Legacy
Mary Jane O'Donovan Rossa believed that women should have the right to vote, which is called female suffrage. She also supported another Irish group called Clan na Gael. However, she thought that women's groups, like Cumann na mBan, should follow the lead of men's political groups.
In November 1905, Mary Jane and her husband moved back to Ireland. Her husband took a job with the Cork County Council. But Mary Jane's health was not good, so she returned to America in February 1906. Her husband left his job to follow her.
From 1910 until his death, her husband was in the hospital because of his poor health. When he passed away in August 1915, Mary Jane traveled with his body back to Ireland.
While in Ireland, Mary Jane published more articles and poems in newspapers. After returning to America, she wrote about events in Ireland for the Gaelic American newspaper. Her last poem, In memory of Padraig Pearse, was written just days before she died. Mary Jane O'Donovan Rossa passed away in New York on August 18, 1916.
