About Me
Grace Eveleen Gifford was born March 4, 1888 at her family home in Rathmines, an affluent Dublin suburb. She was the second youngest of twelve children. Her father, Frederick Gifford, was a wealthy solicitor (attorney) and a Catholic. Isabella Burton Gifford, her mother, was Protestant. The daughters were raised in their mother's faith and the sons were raised as Catholics.In 1904, at the age of sixteen, Grace entered the Dublin Metropolitan School of Art, where her talents for caricature were soon discovered. One of Grace's instructors was the well-known artist, William Orphen, who considered her one of his best students and often sketched her portrait. One of his paintings of Grace was included in his series titled "Young Ireland".Among Grace's classmates was Willie Pearse, Padraic's younger brother, who was training to be a sculptor.After spending 1907-08 studying at the Slade School of Art in London, she returned to Dublin to work as an illustrator and caricaturist. Since work for an artist was difficult to find, Grace considered emigrating to America but decided against doing so.Grace's younger sister, Sydney Gifford Czira, began her writing career by submitting articles to Arthur Griffith's newspaper, Sinn Fein. (The name was later applied to the political party.) Through another Irish journalist, Mrs. Dryhurst, the Gifford sisters were introduced to future leaders of the 1916 Rising, such as Constance Markievicz, Thomas MacDonagh (who married Grace's sister, Muriel), Padraic Pearse and Maud Gonne. During this time, Grace became even more aware of the deplorable living conditions forced upon many citizens of Dublin. In the early 1900s, Dublin slums were considered the worst in Europe. Grace and her sisters began working with several groups founded to help improve the lives of the Irish poor, including the Daughters of Erin founded by Maud Gonne. The Gifford sisters also assisted with supplying school meals for inner-city children, a project instigated by James Connolly, then a Labour leader, and strongly supported by Maud Gonne.The sisters also became strong supporters of the Irish Women's Franchise League, a militant organization working to obtain voting rights for women. In 1911, Grace was part of a group of women protesting outside City Hall against a planned "Loyal Address" from Dublin Corporation to King George V and Queen Mary.Mrs. Dryhurst, the journalist who introduced Grace and her sisters to many of the burgeoning Irish political and social movements and its leaders, also introduced Grace to her future husband. The introduction took place in the winter of 1914-15 on the steps of St. Enda's School, established by scholars Padraic Pearse and Thomas MacDonagh to educate young Irish men of the importance of their own culture along with more traditional studies. Joe Plunkett, fluent in several languages, took Irish language lessons from Thomas and maintained close friendships with Thomas and Padraic.
Joe Plunkett
Grace was deeply interested in Catholicism and often attended the Pro-Cathedral, located in a poor area of Dublin. She was impressed with the faith and devotion shown by the parishioners, in spite of the poverty most of them endured. While growing up as a Protestant, Grace had attended the prosperous Church of the Holy Trinity in Rathmines. Her opinion of its congregation was that they were more intent on showing off their fine clothes and making social connections than seeking spiritual guidance.Joe's devout Catholicism and Grace's strong desire to learn more about the Catholic faith formed the basis for their friendship, which developed into love. Joe also came from a prominent Dublin family, whose lineage included the Earls of Fingall and Dunsany in County Meath. There were both Protestant and Catholic branches of the Plunkett family. Another ancestor was Archbishop Oliver Plunkett, who was martyred in London in 1681 after being falsely accused of involvement in the Titus Oates conspiracy. He was venerated as a Roman Catholic saint in 1975.Joe's father, George Plunkett, was a Papal Count and a barrister. Count Plunkett was also Director of the National Museum of Science and Art. He had strongly supported Charles Parnell and, for a time, had hoped for a political career. Count Plunkett wrote for nationalist and cultural newspapers, collected Irish music and lectured to various cultural organisations. He served as secretary of the Society for the Preservation of the Irish Language, which later became the Gaelic League. The family was actively involved in Nationalist and Union movements. In 1915, Count Plunkett joined the Irish Republican Brotherhood, taking his oath from Joe.Joe received his secondary education at Catholic schools in both Dublin and Paris, developing a special interest in Catholic philosphy and the mystical writings of the Church. While attending the English Jesuit School in Lancashire, Joe received military training from the Officers' Training Corps.At the time he met Grace, Joe was actively involved in the planning of an armed insurrection against British rule of Ireland while serving on the executive of the Irish Volunteers. The Volunteers, originally formed to defend Ireland's neutrality against a possible war in Europe, became one of the primary forces behind the Irish fight for freedom. Since England was occupied with World War I, an armed battle was planned in Dublin that the leaders hoped would lead to the Home Rule Act finally being passed.Many members of the Irish Republican Brotherhood joined the Volunteers and began planning the final stages of the Rising and drafting the Proclamation of the Irish Republic, which would be read by Padraic Pearse at the onset of the Rising. Joe became director of military operations for the Irish Republican Brotherhood, with Padraic and Thomas taking other leadership positions.Joe was also a published poet and writer, gifted musician and head of the literary magazine, The Irish Review. He and Thomas co-founded the "Theatre of Ireland" which produced new plays by Irish playwrights, including two written by Thomas. Due to having tubercular glands in his neck as a child, he suffered from advanced tuberculosis. It's believed that Grace did not know the extent of Joe's illness.Grace and Joe became engaged in December 1915, although they did not publicly announce their plans for an Easter wedding until February 1916.The most likely reason for their secrecy was Isabella Gifford's opposition to their relationship, which was based on eitherJoe's health problems, his religion, his political activities or all three. Grace was received into the Catholic Church on April 7, 1916, at the University Church on St. Stephen's Green.
The revolution was planned mostly by scholars and artisans,involving many members of the Irish upper classes such as Joe. The Rising lasted six days. Several public buildings in the center of Dublin were occupied by the Patriots to declare their dedication to a free Ireland. The leaders and participants, which included the Irish Volunteers and James Connolly's Irish Citizen Army, knew that defeat was almost certain and death was eminent for many of then, either as a result of the fighting or by execution afterwards.Some hoped for imprisonment, but most felt execution was most likely. By declaring their willingness to die for a long-cherished dream of Irish independence, they believed that defeat would lead to eventual victory for their beloved country. As the Irish are known to do, Padraic Pearse injected humour into a grim situation by once telling Joe and Thomas MacDonagh that the Rising would "if nothing else, rid Ireland of three bad poets." (In truth, all three were considered brilliant poets by their contemporaries and future generations.)The Easter Rising of 1916 was a brave outpouring of love for Ireland and her people. Eastertide and the ultimate sacrifice that it honors was a well-chosen time for this "holy war" to begin. Devout people of both Protestant and Catholic backgrounds were involved. Nellie Gifford, Grace's sister and a strong Labour supporter, was among the women who stayed with the troops to provide meals and medical attention. Joe's two brothers, George and Sean, also took part in the Rising.As Chief Strategist, Joe was stationed at the General Post Office (GPO), which became the command post for the combined forces that James Connolly named The Irish Republican Army. Having recently had another surgery on his neck glands, most of Joe's time was spent on a makeshift cot. On the sixth day, British troops were closing in. Much of Dublin was looted and burned; innocent citizens of all ages were being shot by British forces. Joe and the others (including Padraic, his brother, Willie, and a badly wounded James Connolly) left the GPO and sought shelter in a shop on Moore Street.After seeing a couple and their young daughter gunned down by British soldiers, Padraic made his last decision as Commander in Chief. During the final moments of the Rising before Padraic's surrender, some of the men knelt together and said the Rosary.Grace and Muriel had watched the start of the Rising from a hotel balcony. Both Joe and Thomas were sworn to secrecy about the plans, so neither of the women knew when the battle would begin. But, within days, they knew how it would end. After speedy trials, all leaders of the Rising were condemned to death by firing squad and taken to Kilmainham Gaol. Before the Rising, Joe told Grace that he wanted the wedding to still take place, even if he was in jail. Knowing that Joe was to be executed at dawn on May 4, Grace bought wedding rings at a shop on Grafton Street late in the afternoon of May 3. Wearing a checked dress with white collar and cuffs and a light coloured brimmed hat, Grace arrived at Kilmainham Gaol around 6 pm. She was kept waiting in the prison chapel until 11:30 pm, when Joe was brought in under heavy guard. Two soldiers acted as witnesses. The only light in the chapel came from two candles. The quick ceremony was performed by Father Eugene McCarthy, the prison chaplain. Joe and Grace were not allowed any time together before he was returned to his cell and Father McCarthy escorted Grace to her lodging for the night at the home of a bell-founder. Grace and Joe were both 28 years old at the time of their marriage.
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