Women in the struggle for a United Ireland
Laura Sullivan, LMIU EC member, writes the first in an occasional series of articles on Women in the struggle for a United Ireland.
Grace Gifford
I am writing about various Irish women and their contributions to the Irish struggle, beginning with Grace Gifford. I think it is important to learn from history in the struggle for a United Ireland and it is also important to highlight the role of women within this. I was inspired to learn more about her after hearing Kellie Harrington sing the song "Grace," following her gold medal win at the Paris Olympics, with the Irish crowd joining in. From the song, we know the tragic story of Joseph Plunkett, who was executed by firing squad in Kilmainham Gaol for his role in the 1916 Easter Rising. Grace managed to marry him just hours before his death.
Grace was born in 1888, one of twelve children. Her parents were unionists; her mother was Protestant and her father was Catholic. Despite this background, Grace and four of her sisters became staunch republicans. She was a talented artist who studied in Dublin and at the prestigious Slade School of Fine Art in London. She became best known as a cartoonist, building a reputation for her humorous caricatures of politicians, actors, academics, and writers.
She was introduced to republican politics by Pádraig Pearse and Thomas MacDonagh, who was married to her sister, Muriel. Grace was also deeply concerned about the conditions of the poor in Dublin and was an active member of several organisations, including Inghinidhe na hÉireann (The Daughters of Erin), founded by Maud Gonne. She met the republican Joseph Plunkett and the couple became engaged in 1915. Their engagement also marked Grace's conversion to Catholicism, which deepened their bond.
Joseph was one of the signatories of the Proclamation of the Irish Republic and was subsequently sentenced to death following the Easter Rising. The couple had originally planned to marry at Easter 1916, but the uprising intervened. With Joseph imprisoned and facing execution, Grace urgently sorted out the necessary paperwork and obtained a ring. The authorities reluctantly agreed to the marriage, which took place in Kilmainham Gaol in the early hours of the morning before his execution. The ceremony was far from the romantic affair depicted in the song; the couple were not permitted to speak privately and had only minutes together as husband and wife. While a love match, their desire to marry was also practical, given the difficulties faced by single women at the time. There is also some historical speculation that Grace may have been pregnant. Grace was not able to stay with her own family who did not support the republican struggle.
In 1917, Grace was appointed to the national executive of Sinn Féin, where she used her artistic talents to create posters and banners for the national cause. During the Irish Civil War, she was arrested and interned in Kilmainham Gaol in 1923. It was there that she immortalised her cell with famous paintings, including the 'Kilmainham Madonna.'
After her release, she faced significant social ostracism and relied on her art for income so needed to take on commercial work. In 1932, Éamon de Valera's government granted her a civil list pension, and she eventually received a portion of Joseph Plunkett's estate from his family. Along with her sister Katherine, Grace was also responsible for raising the children of their sister Muriel, who had died, which led her to take on more commercial artistic work.
Her health declined in the late 1940s, leading to her death in 1955. She was buried with full military honours near her husband in Glasnevin Cemetery.