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Nora Connolly O'Brien
Nora Connolly O'Brien (14 November 1892 – 17 June 1981) was an Irish politician, activist and writer. She was a member of Seanad Éireann from 1957 to 1969.
Nora Connolly was the daughter of Irish republican and socialist leader James Connolly and his wife Lillie Connolly (née Reynolds). She was born in Edinburgh, one of seven children. She moved with her family to Dublin when she was three years old. Her formal education in Dublin extended to weekly Gaelic League classes to learn the Irish language. Otherwise, her mother, a former nursery maid, taught her how to read by the age of three and how to write, and arithmetic. The family moved to Troy, New York, when she was nine years old for her father to work at an insurance company. That work fell through, at which time he became increasingly political, prompting the family's eventual return to Ireland, this time to Belfast in 1910, with Nora going ahead a year earlier.
After her father's execution, the surviving Connollys tried to depart for America but were denied passports by the British government. Undeterred, they travelled to Boston via Edinburgh with Nora using the pseudonym Margaret (her middle name). In Boston, she met Seamus O'Brien, a courier for Michael Collins, whom she later married in 1922. When she wanted to return to Ireland, she was denied entry[when?][who?] but stowed away on a boat from Liverpool dressed as a boy.
Connolly O'Brien was heavily influenced in her political beliefs by her father James Connolly, who was a committed republican and socialist. From a young age she attended her father's political meetings, accompanying him on a four-month Scottish lecture tour at age 8.
After moving to Belfast in 1911, she began to get more involved in the labour and republican movements while her father James remained in Dublin and became an organizer of the Irish Transport and General Workers' Union (ITGWU) in Dublin. She was a founding member of the Young Republican Party, advocating against Partition of Northern Ireland as the Home Rule Crisis increased. She also helped to found the Belfast branch of Cumann na mBan, the women's section of the Irish Volunteers
At eight years old, she saw her father speak at many socialist clubs in Glasgow, and thereafter became a devotee of socialist politics. She moved to Belfast in 1910 for work, and her family followed soon after. She participated in her first strike whilst working in Belfast over the conditions in which factory workers were being forced to work under. While she was in Belfast she became a founding member of the Young Republican Army and of the girl's branch of the Fianna. She was also a founding member of Cumann na mBan in Belfast. In 1914, plans were being put in place for a rebellion in Ireland. She and her sister helped courier ammunition and arms to hiding places for Erskine Childers and were then rewarded with two rifles. She was then sent to America with a message from her father about the rising planned for 1916.
When Connolly O'Brien returned to Dublin she met members of the Military Council who were planning the rising. In the days before the rising, she was sent back to Belfast to try and convince the leading activist there to join the fight. Under the command of a 23-year-old Connolly O'Brien, she and nine other members of Cumann na mBan returned to Dublin to take part in the fight and were the only organised group to leave Ulster to take part in the rising.
In her statement to the Bureau of Military History, she described "the rare privilege" of cooking breakfast for the leaders of the rising at Liberty Hall on the morning of the rising. She was sent back to County Tyrone for their safety and to re-muster the Northern Division of the Irish Volunteers, under orders from Patrick Pearse. After the attempt failed, she returned to Dublin with her sister, but due to train disruptions walked from Dundalk, and spending a night in a field near Balbriggan only to arrive hours after the leaders of the Easter Rising surrendered. She vividly remembers visiting her father James Connolly, in Dublin Castle the night before his execution, where she smuggled out statements to the court martial; Before they said goodbye, as he feared for his family, he advised them that there would be resentment against them and advised them to go to the United States.
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Nora Connolly O'Brien
Nora Connolly O'Brien (14 November 1892 – 17 June 1981) was an Irish politician, activist and writer. She was a member of Seanad Éireann from 1957 to 1969.
Nora Connolly was the daughter of Irish republican and socialist leader James Connolly and his wife Lillie Connolly (née Reynolds). She was born in Edinburgh, one of seven children. She moved with her family to Dublin when she was three years old. Her formal education in Dublin extended to weekly Gaelic League classes to learn the Irish language. Otherwise, her mother, a former nursery maid, taught her how to read by the age of three and how to write, and arithmetic. The family moved to Troy, New York, when she was nine years old for her father to work at an insurance company. That work fell through, at which time he became increasingly political, prompting the family's eventual return to Ireland, this time to Belfast in 1910, with Nora going ahead a year earlier.
After her father's execution, the surviving Connollys tried to depart for America but were denied passports by the British government. Undeterred, they travelled to Boston via Edinburgh with Nora using the pseudonym Margaret (her middle name). In Boston, she met Seamus O'Brien, a courier for Michael Collins, whom she later married in 1922. When she wanted to return to Ireland, she was denied entry[when?][who?] but stowed away on a boat from Liverpool dressed as a boy.
Connolly O'Brien was heavily influenced in her political beliefs by her father James Connolly, who was a committed republican and socialist. From a young age she attended her father's political meetings, accompanying him on a four-month Scottish lecture tour at age 8.
After moving to Belfast in 1911, she began to get more involved in the labour and republican movements while her father James remained in Dublin and became an organizer of the Irish Transport and General Workers' Union (ITGWU) in Dublin. She was a founding member of the Young Republican Party, advocating against Partition of Northern Ireland as the Home Rule Crisis increased. She also helped to found the Belfast branch of Cumann na mBan, the women's section of the Irish Volunteers
At eight years old, she saw her father speak at many socialist clubs in Glasgow, and thereafter became a devotee of socialist politics. She moved to Belfast in 1910 for work, and her family followed soon after. She participated in her first strike whilst working in Belfast over the conditions in which factory workers were being forced to work under. While she was in Belfast she became a founding member of the Young Republican Army and of the girl's branch of the Fianna. She was also a founding member of Cumann na mBan in Belfast. In 1914, plans were being put in place for a rebellion in Ireland. She and her sister helped courier ammunition and arms to hiding places for Erskine Childers and were then rewarded with two rifles. She was then sent to America with a message from her father about the rising planned for 1916.
When Connolly O'Brien returned to Dublin she met members of the Military Council who were planning the rising. In the days before the rising, she was sent back to Belfast to try and convince the leading activist there to join the fight. Under the command of a 23-year-old Connolly O'Brien, she and nine other members of Cumann na mBan returned to Dublin to take part in the fight and were the only organised group to leave Ulster to take part in the rising.
In her statement to the Bureau of Military History, she described "the rare privilege" of cooking breakfast for the leaders of the rising at Liberty Hall on the morning of the rising. She was sent back to County Tyrone for their safety and to re-muster the Northern Division of the Irish Volunteers, under orders from Patrick Pearse. After the attempt failed, she returned to Dublin with her sister, but due to train disruptions walked from Dundalk, and spending a night in a field near Balbriggan only to arrive hours after the leaders of the Easter Rising surrendered. She vividly remembers visiting her father James Connolly, in Dublin Castle the night before his execution, where she smuggled out statements to the court martial; Before they said goodbye, as he feared for his family, he advised them that there would be resentment against them and advised them to go to the United States.