Maura "Máire" Wyse Power (9 December 1887 – 19 July 1916) was an Irish

Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language * Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Fo ...

scholar.

Biography

Maura "Máire" Wyse Power was born at 7 Royal Terrace (now Inverness Road)

Fairview, Dublin Fairview () is an inner coastal suburb of Dublin in Ireland, in the jurisdiction of Dublin City Council and in the city's D03 postal district. Part of the area forms Fairview Park, a recreational amenity laid-out on land reclaimed from the sea ...

on 9 December 1887. She was one of four children of Jennie and

John Wyse Power John Wyse Power (1859-1926), was a County Waterford born, journalist, newspaper editor and Irish nationalist. He was founding member of the Gaelic Athletic Association, and served as secretary of the GAA (1884-1887). He was involved in setting up ...

who were both active

nationalists Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: The ...

. Her younger sister was Nancy, who would also become a Celtic scholar. The family were friendly with that of

James Joyce James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an Irish novelist, poet, and literary critic. He contributed to the modernist avant-garde movement and is regarded as one of the most influential and important writers of ...

, and Wyse Power is believed to have inspired the character Mary Elizabeth Cleary in ''

Stephen Hero ''Stephen Hero'' is a posthumously published autobiographical novel by Irish author James Joyce. Its published form reflects only a portion of an original manuscript, part of which was lost. Many of its ideas were used in composing ''A Portrait ...

''. She attended Loreto College, Stephen's Green and then

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 ...

(UCD), one of a small number of women permitted to attend at the time. She graduated with a first-class honours degree in Celtic studies. She had developed a love of Irish during numerous family holidays to the Gaeltacht at

Ring, County Waterford Ring (, its official name) or Ringagonagh ( ) is a parish within the Irish-speaking Gaeltacht na nDéise area in County Waterford, Ireland. It lies on a peninsula about south of Dungarvan. The main settlement is the village of Ring or Ringvi ...

. Along with her sister and brother, Wyse Power was a member of

Conradh na Gaeilge (; 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 ...

, winning a prize for Irish at senior grade in 1905. Following her graduation from UCD, she won a travelling scholarship, going first to the

University of Marburg The Philipps University of Marburg (german: Philipps-Universität Marburg) was founded in 1527 by Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse, which makes it one of Germany's oldest universities and the oldest still operating Protestant university in the wor ...

, Germany, and then to the

University of Freiburg The University of Freiburg (colloquially german: Uni Freiburg), officially the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg (german: Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg), is a public university, public research university located in Freiburg im Breisg ...

, studying under

Rudolf Thurneysen Eduard Rudolf Thurneysen (March 14, 1857 – 9 August 1940) was a Swiss linguist and Celticist. Biography Born in Basel, Thurneysen studied classical philology in Basel, Leipzig, Berlin and Paris. His teachers included Ernst Windisch and H ...

. Her 1912 work on a fifteenth-century treatise on astronomy in Irish, completed under the supervision of

Osborn Bergin Osborn Joseph Bergin (26 November 1873 – 6 October 1950) was a scholar of the Irish language and early Irish literature, who discovered Bergin's Law. He was born in Cork, sixth child and eldest son of Osborn Roberts Bergin and Sarah Reddin, ...

, was chosen to be published by the

Irish Texts Society The Irish Texts Society ( ga, Cumann na Scríbheann nGaedhilge) was founded in 1898 to promote the study of Irish literature. It is a text publication society, issuing annotated editions of texts in Irish with English translations and related co ...

. It was published as ''An Irish astronomical tract'' in 1914 alongside an English translation and commentary, and established her as a Celtic scholar. She earned a living as a part-time examiner for the Government Intermediate Board whilst conducting her own research. She lost this job in 1916, as she was accused of sympathies with those who took part in the 1916 Rising. She was reinstated, but worked extremely hard to provide the most accurate examination results. It was this pressure at work that is blamed for a steep decline in her health. Wyse Power died on 19 July 1916 at the home of a family friend in Sandycove, Dublin after a short illness. Her death was recorded as resulting from "cardiac asthma", but her mother's biographer, Maire O'Neill, speculated that this may have been a euphemism for

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...

. She 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 parents erected a memorial plaque to her in University Church, St Stephen's Green. Her article on Irish historical poems from the

Book of Lismore The Book of Lismore, also known as the Book of Mac Carthaigh Riabhach, is a late fifteenth-century Gaelic manuscript that was created at Kilbrittain in County Cork, Ireland, for Fínghean Mac Carthaigh, Lord of Carbery (1478–1505). Defective ...

, "Cnuche Cnoc os cionn Life", was published posthumously in the ''

Zeitschrift für Celtische Philologie The ''Zeitschrift für celtische Philologie'' is an academic journal of Celtic studies, which was established in 1897 by the German scholars Kuno Meyer and Ludwig Christian Stern.Busse, Peter E. "''Zeitschrift für celtische Philologie''." In ''Ce ...

'' (1917).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Power, Máire Wyse 1887 births 1916 deaths People educated at Loreto College, St Stephen's Green 20th-century Irish writers 20th-century Irish women writers Burials at Glasnevin Cemetery Deaths from asthma