Kathleen O'Connell (5 October 1888 – 7 April 1956) was an Irish republican activist and
Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera (, ; first registered as George de Valero; changed some time before 1901 to Edward de Valera; 14 October 1882 – 29 August 1975) was a prominent Irish statesman and political leader. He served several terms as head of governm ...
's personal secretary.
Early life
Kathleen O'Connell was born Catherine O'Connell at
Caherdaniel
Caherdaniel () is a village in County Kerry, Ireland, located on the Iveragh peninsula on the Ring of Kerry. It is on the southwestern side of the peninsula, facing onto Derrynane Bay, at a T-junction on the N70 road.
A stone ringfort (''cathai ...
, County Kerry on 5 October 1888. She was one of eleven children of farmer John O'Connell and Mary Ann O'Connell (née O'Sullivan). She was educated in County Kerry, and emigrated to
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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in 1904 where she trained to be a secretary. She left a well-paid commercial job in 1912 to become secretary to the American delegation of the
Gaelic League
(; historically known in English as the Gaelic League) is a social and cultural organisation which promotes the Irish language in Ireland and worldwide. The organisation was founded in 1893 with Douglas Hyde as its first president, when it emer ...
in New York. She worked closely with
Thomas Ashe
Thomas may refer to:
People
* List of people with given name Thomas
* Thomas (name)
* Thomas (surname)
* Saint Thomas (disambiguation)
* Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church
* Thomas the Ap ...
and
Diarmuid Lynch
Diarmuid Lynch (10 January 1878 – 9 November 1950) was a member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood and Sinn Féin member of the First Dáil.
Early life
Lynch, born Jeremiah Christopher, was born in Granig, Tracton, County Cork and was the so ...
on fund-raising and handled their secret
IRB correspondence. She returned to Ireland briefly in 1915 to attend the Gaelic League oireachtas and
ard fheis
or ''ardfheis'' ( , ; "high assembly"; plural ''ardfheiseanna'') is the name used by many Irish political parties for their annual party conference. The term was first used by Conradh na Gaeilge, the Irish language cultural organisation, for it ...
, voting in favour of the politicisation of the organisation. During the same visit she brought money and messages to the Irish Volunteers from
John Devoy
John Devoy ( ga, Seán Ó Dubhuí, ; 3 September 1842 – 29 September 1928) was an Irish republican rebel and journalist who owned and edited ''The Gaelic American'', a New York weekly newspaper, from 1903 to 1928.
Devoy dedicated over 60 ...
. O'Connell attended the New York
Irish Race Convention, going on to work of the
Friends of Irish Freedom
The Friends of Irish Freedom was an Irish-American Irish nationalism, nationalist organisation founded at the third Irish Race Conventions, Irish Race Convention held in New York (4–5 March 1916). Supported by the United Irish League, the Ancien ...
. In this position she organised and collected for the "victory fund" for Irish independence. She was also a typist for
Clann na Gael. After the
Easter 1916 Rising, she became a member of
Cumann na mBan
Cumann na mBan (; literally "The Women's Council" but calling themselves The Irishwomen's Council in English), abbreviated C na mB, is an Irish republican women's paramilitary organisation formed in Dublin on 2 April 1914, merging with and di ...
in the US, raising money for the widows and children of those killed or wounded during the Rising. It was through this work that she became a close friend of
Arthur Griffith
Arthur Joseph Griffith ( ga, Art Seosamh Ó Gríobhtha; 31 March 1871 – 12 August 1922) was an Irish writer, newspaper editor and politician who founded the political party Sinn Féin. He led the Irish delegation at the negotiations that prod ...
and his family.
Work with de Valera
Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera (, ; first registered as George de Valero; changed some time before 1901 to Edward de Valera; 14 October 1882 – 29 August 1975) was a prominent Irish statesman and political leader. He served several terms as head of governm ...
requested that O'Connell join his "consular staff" on 2 October 1919, to support his tour of America. She worked closely with him during this tour, travelling with him, assisting with speeches and dealing with his private and public correspondence. She was privy to secrets of the independence movement due to handling
Harry Boland
Harry Boland (27 April 1887 – 1 August 1922) was an Irish republican politician who served as President of the Irish Republican Brotherhood from 1919 to 1920. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) from 1918 to 1922.
He was elected at the 1918 ...
's correspondence as well. In November 1920, she returned to Ireland with de Valera and went into hiding immediately. From February 1921 she lived at his secret headquarters at Strand Road, living in dangerous condition until a truce was called in the
Irish War of Independence
The Irish War of Independence () or Anglo-Irish War was a guerrilla war fought in Ireland from 1919 to 1921 between the Irish Republican Army (IRA, the army of the Irish Republic) and British forces: the British Army, along with the quasi-mil ...
. After this she lived with de Valera at Dr Farnan's house at Merrion Square and later in Blackrock. On 22 June 1921, she was arrested with him, and they were both released the next day. O'Connell was a member of the delegation that met
Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor, (17 January 1863 – 26 March 1945) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1922. He was a Liberal Party (United Kingdom), Liberal Party politician from Wales, known for lea ...
in July 1921, and shared de Valera's opposition to the treaty. She joined de Valera and her sister Teresa in Suffolk Street in June 1922 when the
Irish Civil War
The Irish Civil War ( ga, Cogadh Cathartha na hÉireann; 28 June 1922 – 24 May 1923) was a conflict that followed the Irish War of Independence and accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State, an entity independent from the United ...
broke out.
When fighting ended in Dublin in July 1922, she traveled south, working closely with
Dorothy Macardle
Dorothy Macardle (2 February 1889, in Dundalk – 23 December 1958, in Drogheda)Luke Gibbons, ''The Irish Times'', Weekend Review, "A Cosmopolitan Reclaimed: A Review of ''Dorothy Macardle: A Life''", by Nadia Clare Smith, 10 November 2007, p.13 ...
,
Robert Brennan, and
Erskine Childers establishing a publicity department and publishing
''Poblacht na hÉireann''. In September 1922, she returned to Dublin, and went into hiding at 11 Upper Mount Street. She was a loyal follower of de Valera throughout the civil war, and was present at his arrest in Ennis in August 1923. She acted as his messenger and agent during his imprisonment, working with him on an Irish translation of
shorthand
Shorthand is an abbreviated symbolic writing method that increases speed and brevity of writing as compared to longhand, a more common method of writing a language. The process of writing in shorthand is called stenography, from the Greek ''ste ...
which they later abandoned.
During this time she also worked for the
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin ( , ; en, " eOurselves") is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active throughout both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
The original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur Gri ...
TD for
Mayo North P. J. Ruttledge
Patrick Joseph Ruttledge (1 January 1892 – 8 May 1952) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Minister for Health (Ireland), Minister for Local Government and Public Health from 1939 to 1941, Minister for Justice (Ireland), Ministe ...
.
O'Connell was present at the first meeting of the provisional organising committee of de Valera's new political party,
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil (, ; meaning 'Soldiers of Destiny' or 'Warriors of Fál'), officially Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party ( ga, audio=ga-Fianna Fáil.ogg, Fianna Fáil – An Páirtí Poblachtánach), is a conservative and Christian- ...
. During this time she continued to travel with de Valera, nationally and internationally. There were rumours regarding the nature of their relationship, leading to de Valera vehemently denying any impropriety in
Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann ( , ; ) is the lower house, and principal chamber, of the Oireachtas (Irish legislature), which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann (the upper house).Article 15.1.2º of the Constitution of Ireland read ...
in 1928. The letter between O'Connell and de Valera's wife,
Sinéad
Sinéad ( , ) is an Irish feminine name. It is derived from the French ''Jeanette'', which is cognate to the English Janet, itself a feminine form of the Hebrew ''Yohannan'', "God forgave/God gratified". In English, ''Sinéad'' is also commonly ...
, are cited as evidence there was no intimate relationship between O'Connell and de Valera. She resigned from her permanent civil service position of personal secretary to the
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government, or prime minister, of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The office is appointed by the president of Ireland upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's national legisl ...
when de Valera was defeated in 1948, returning in 1951 when he regained power.
For her involvement in the War of Independence, O'Connell was awarded an Irish military pension.
Death and legacy
O'Connell was forced to retire in 1954 as she had developed cancer. Her niece,
Maire O'Kelly, took up her position. She died on 7 April 1956, and is buried in
Glasnevin Cemetery
Glasnevin Cemetery ( ga, Reilig Ghlas Naíon) is a large cemetery in Glasnevin, Dublin, Ireland which opened in 1832. It holds the graves and memorials of several notable figures, and has a museum.
Location
The cemetery is located in Glasne ...
. Her funeral was attended by a guard of honour from the national executive of Fianna Fáil and the Old IRA. She received full military honours and
Seán MacEntee
Seán Francis MacEntee ( ga, Seán Mac an tSaoi; 23 August 1889 – 9 January 1984) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Tánaiste from 1959 to 1965, Minister for Social Welfare from 1957 to 1961, Minister for Health from 1957 to ...
delivered the
panegyric
A panegyric ( or ) is a formal public speech or written verse, delivered in high praise of a person or thing. The original panegyrics were speeches delivered at public events in ancient Athens.
Etymology
The word originated as a compound of grc, ...
. During the writing of their biography of de Valera,
Lord Longford
Francis Aungier Pakenham, 7th Earl of Longford, 1st Baron Pakenham, Baron Pakenham of Cowley, (5 December 1905 – 3 August 2001), known to his family as Frank Longford and styled Lord Pakenham from 1945 to 1961, was a British politician and ...
and
Thomas P. O'Neill
Thomas Phillip "Tip" O'Neill Jr. (December 9, 1912 – January 5, 1994) was an American politician who served as the List of speakers of the United States House of Representatives, 47th speaker of the United States House of Representatives fro ...
used her papers, which are held in the
University College Dublin
University College Dublin (commonly referred to as UCD) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile, Baile Átha Cliath) is a public research university in Dublin, Ireland, and a collegiate university, member institution of the National University of Ireland ...
archives, extensively.
In 2016, a plaque was unveiled to O'Connell at her birthplace in Caherdaniel by
Eamon Ó Cuív, de Valera's grandson.
References
External links
Catalogue of the Kathleen O'Connell papers in UCD
{{DEFAULTSORT:O'Connell, Kathleen
1888 births
1956 deaths
People from the Iveragh Peninsula
Irish republicans
People of the Irish Civil War (Anti-Treaty side)
People of the Irish War of Independence
Burials at Glasnevin Cemetery
Women in war 1900–1945
Women in war in Ireland