Category: Writing Heroes

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Celebrating Irish Women Authors: Katharine Tynan Hickson

This blog post is dedicated to Marcella & Keith Flanagan, Katharine’s relatives and my life-long friends

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It was a song I learnt in school and one, I’m sure, most of you know. All in the April Evening has a beautiful melody and the words touched something in my childish heart, something most of the songs that were inflicted on us at the time most certainly didn’t do. It was only many years later that I discovered that the writer of the poem that forms the lyrics of the song, was Katharine Tynan, and that she was related to my next door neighbour and life-long friend!

So who was she?

Katherine TynanKatharine was born in Clondalkin, Dublin, on 23rd January, 1859. She was one of twelve children and grow up on her father’s dairy farm. From age 6 to 14, she attended the Dominican Convent of St Catherine of Siena, Drogheda, and even considered life in a religious order. … Celebrating Irish Women Authors: Katharine Tynan Hickson

Irish Writers Writing Writing Heroes

My Writing Heroes: Maria Edgeworth (1767-1849)

Maria_Edgeworth_by_John_Downman_1807

“Thady begins his memoirs of the Rackrent Family by dating MONDAY MORNING, because no great undertaking can be auspiciously commenced in Ireland on any morning but MONDAY MORNING. ‘Oh, please God we live till Monday morning, we’ll set the slater to mend the roof of the house. On Monday morning we’ll fall to, and cut the turf. On Monday morning we’ll see and begin mowing. On Monday morning, please your honour, we’ll begin and dig the potatoes,’ etc.

All the intermediate days, between the making of such speeches and the ensuing Monday, are wasted: and when Monday morning comes, it is ten to one that the business is deferred to THE NEXT Monday morning. The Editor knew a gentleman, who, to counteract this prejudice, made his workmen and labourers begin all new pieces of work upon a Saturday.”

― Maria Edgeworth, Castle Rackrent

… My Writing Heroes: Maria Edgeworth (1767-1849)