Moira O'Neill facts for kids

Moira O'Neill was the pen name of Agnes Shakespeare Higginson (1864–1955). She was an Irish-Canadian poet. She wrote poems and ballads. Her work was inspired by County Antrim, Ireland. She lived there in a place called Cushendun.

In 1895, Moira and her husband, Walter Skrine, lived on a large ranch in Alberta, Canada. Later, they moved back to Ireland. In 1921, their home, Ballyrankin House, near Bunclody, was sadly destroyed.

Moira also used the name Nesta. She published two popular poetry books. These were Songs of the Glens of Antrim (1900) and More Songs of the Glens of Antrim (1921). A famous composer, Charles Villiers Stanford, used six of her poems for his song-cycle 'An Irish Idyll'. This included the well-known song 'The Fairy Lough'. Another composer, Hamilton Harty, set her poem Sea Wrack to music. This song is still popular today.

Early Life and Family

Old Church at Cushendun with a special plaque

Moira O'Neill was born in Mauritius on July 13, 1864. She grew up in Cushendun, County Antrim, in Ireland. She used "Moira O'Neill" as her writing name. Her birth name was Agnes Higginson, but friends called her "Nesta".

She was the youngest daughter of Charles Higginson and Mary Higginson. Her father was a government official in Mauritius. Her mother was the daughter of Sir James MacAuley, who was a governor. Charles and Mary were cousins. They had seven children: four boys and three girls. Agnes's brothers joined the military. This led the family to move to Rockport, Cushendun, in County Antrim.

On June 5, 1895, Agnes married Walter Clarmont Skrine. He was from Warleigh Manor, County Somerset. They married in Cushendun. After their wedding, they moved to Alberta, Canada. Walter owned land there. They settled on the Bar S Ranch. This ranch was about 24 miles southwest of High River. Walter had almost 17,000 acres of land. They built a new, two-story home there. The wood for the house was brought from Calgary by horse teams.

Agnes and Walter had five children. Their first two children, Charles John and Susan, were born in Canada. Their daughter, Mary Nesta, became a famous writer. She was known as "Molly Keane". Godfrey Higginson and Walter Henry were born in Ireland. The family moved back to Ireland in 1902. They lived in Ballyrankin House, Ferns, County Wexford. Sadly, in 1921, their house was burned down. The Skrine family had to move to Northern Ireland for a while. They stayed with cousins until their home in Ballyrankin was rebuilt.

Later Life and Legacy

After marrying Walter Clarmont Skrine in 1895, the couple lived a quiet life. They were on Walter's large 17,000-acre ranch in Alberta, Canada. They lived there peacefully for six years and started their family. In 1902, they returned to Ireland, which Moira loved deeply.

As their family grew, they first settled near Dublin. Then they moved to Ferns in County Wexford. During the War of Independence, their family home in Ferns was tragically destroyed. Moira and Walter moved temporarily to Northern Ireland. This time in the North reminded Moira of her strong love for Antrim. This was the county where she was born. It inspired her to publish 'More Songs of the Glens of Antrim'. This book was a follow-up to her earlier collection, 'Songs of the Glens of Antrim', from 1901. This was one of Moira O'Neill's most loved poetry collections. Even though Agnes took her husband's last name, she kept writing under her pen name, 'Moira O'Neill'. She continued to publish poetry into her later years.

O'Neill and her husband Walter had five children. Their daughter Mary became a well-known novelist and playwright. She wrote under the names 'Molly Keane' and sometimes 'M.J Farrell'. In 1930, Moira's husband Walter passed away. Moira was 65 years old at the time. She lived for another 25 years without him. Her children had grown up and moved out. Moira had never been a very social person. She became even more private and isolated without her family around. Moira O'Neill died at Ballyrankin House in County Wexford on January 22, 1955. She was 90 years old.