Helena Molony, 1946 - 1954
Scope and Contents
This collection contains materials collected by Loretta Clarke Murray relating to the fight for Irish Independence, particularly materials belonging to women who fought for the cause. Included are materials by and about Cumann na mBan, Máire Gill, Maud Gonne, Countess Constance Markievicz, Helena Molony, Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington, and Margaret Skinnider in the form of correspondence, photographs, meeting minutes, autograph books of female prisoners, and handbills. Of note are an embroidered banner made by Gonne and a journal chronicling Skinnider’s participation in the 1916 Easter Rising.
Other materials are related to the women’s personal and artistic pursuits. Materials from Cuala Industries, from both the printing and embroidery departments, are included. Gill’s papers include photographs, correspondence, and other materials relevant to her involvement with camogie, as well as her work as a printer for Cuala Press. The collection also contains photographs and articles about Elizabeth Corbet Yeats’ management of Cuala Industries and watercolor landscapes by Yeats. Irish arts are further documented through jewelry, including Tara-inspired brooches worn by Inghinidhe na hÉireann members, etchings by Estella Frances Solomons, and a watercolor by Michael MacLiammoir inspired by a W.B. Yeats poem.
Bean na hÉireann: Monthly magazine published by the organization Inghinidhe na hÉireann.
Cumann na mBan: League of Women; An Irish republican women's organization.
Cumann Camógaíochta na nGael: The name of the Camogie Association from 1939 until 2010.
Cumann na Saoirse: The League for Freedom; The women’s organization created after Cumann na mBan split.
Dáil Éireann: Assembly of Ireland; The parliament of the Irish Republic from 1919 to 1922.
Inghinidhe na hÉireann: An Irish republican women’s organization founded by Maud Gonne and later merged with Cumann na mBan.
Sinn Féin: Irish republican political party.
Dates
- Creation: 1946 - 1954
Creator
- Molony, Helena, 1883-1967 (Person)
Language of Materials
This collection includes materials in English, French, and Irish.
Access Note
Collection is open for research; portions of the collection available digitally.
Biographical note
Helena Molony was born on January 15, 1883 in Dublin, to Michael Molony and Catherine McGrath. In 1903, Molony joined Inghinidhe na hÉireann (Daughters of Ireland) and began a lifelong commitment to the nationalist cause. In 1908, she became the editor of the organization's monthly newspaper, Bean na hÉireann (Woman of Ireland). Molony organized the supply of daily school meals to children in impoverished areas, and pressured corporations to provide proper meals to hungry children in Dublin.
Molony had a career as an actress, and was a member of the Abbey Theatre. However, her primary commitment was to her political work. She was credited with bringing many into the Irish Republican movement, including Constance Markievicz. As a labor activist, Molony was a close colleague of Markievicz and of James Connolly. In November 1915, Connolly appointed Molony secretary of the Irish Women Workers' Union. Molony was a prominent member of Cumann na mBan, a republican women's paramilitary organization formed in April 1914 as an auxiliary of the Irish Volunteers. During the 1916 Easter Rising, Molony was one of the Citizen Army soldiers who attacked Dublin Castle. Molony was arrested by British forces and imprisoned until December 1916.
After the Irish Civil War, Molony became the second female president of the Irish Trades Union Congress. She remained active in the republican cause during the 1930s, particularly with the Women's Prisoner's Defence League. She retired from public life in 1946, but continued to work for women's labor rights. She died in Dublin on January 29, 1967 following a stroke.
Sources
“Helena Molony - CSO - Central Statistics Office.” CSO, February 15, 2017. https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-1916/1916irl/cpr/cwr/hm/.
"HELENA MOLONEY." Glasnevin Trust. Accessed June 28, 2018. https://www.glasnevintrust.ie/visit-glasnevin/interactive-map/helena-moloney/.
“Helena Molony.” Wikipedia, March 26, 2023. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helena_Molony.
McMahon, Deirdre. “Women in World History: A Biographical Encyclopedia - Molony, Helena (1884–1967).” Encyclopedia.com. Accessed July 3, 2023. https://www.encyclopedia.com/women/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/molony-helena-1884-1967.
Full Extent
0.5 Linear Feet (1 container)
Repository Details
Part of the John J. Burns Library Repository
John J. Burns Library
Boston College
140 Commonwealth Avenue
Chestnut Hill MA 02467 USA
617-552-4861
burns@bc.libanswers.com