Life
(1902-1988 [née Gould]; b. 10 June 1900, Lee Rd., Cork; dg. of engineman Joseph and Julia Gould [nee O’Connell]; suffered early death of mother and raised by maternal aunt at Sunday’s Well; ed. UUC (grad. Economics, 1923; m. Sean O’Faolain at Irish-language summer school, at Presentation College, 1918 and again at Ballinagarry, where he followed her; joined Cumann na mBan and acted as courier; co-operating with O’Faolain in his publicity role; arrested and imprisoned, feb. 1923 taught in national and technical schools; travelled to America to meet Sean, working with a charity, and m. Boston Cath., 3 June 1928; moved to London with him, 1929, and taught commerce at Isleworth Convent; returned to Ireland, 1933 and rented Killough Hse in Wicklow; built a their own house in Killiney, 1938 where she was noted for good gardening; later moved to 17 Rosmeen Pk., Dun Laoghaire, 1971;
travelled with her husband in Italy and elsewhere, and joined him during his American appointment at Princeton, 1959-61; embarked successfully on writing children’s books include The Little Black Hen (1940); Miss Pennyfeather in the Springtime (1946); The White Rabbit’s Adventures (1950); The Children of the Crooked Castle (1945); King of the Cats (1941); The Shadow of Man (1949); also produced two classic volumes of Irish myths and legends, Irish Sagas and Folk-Tales (1954), and Do., another edn. (1982), ill. Joan Kiddell-Monroe; High Sang the Sword (1959); endured her husband’s serial infidelities and suffered from stress disorders and was hospitalised with ulcers; d. of a stroke, 20 Sept. 1988; her body bequeathed to medical research at TCD and her ashes scattered at Gougana Barra; her children with Sean were Julia O’Faolain [q.v.] and Stephen (b.1938). IF2 OCIL RIA
References
Belfast Public Library holds Irish Sagas and Folk-tales (1954); Little Black Hen (1940).
[ top ]