'The Revolt of the Daughters?: The Gore-Booth Sisters.'

Tiernan, Sonja (2016) 'The Revolt of the Daughters?: The Gore-Booth Sisters.'. In: A Century of Progress? Irish Women Reflect. Syracuse University Press, New York, pp. 65-86. ISBN 9781851321551

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Abstract

The single greatest influence on the personal and political life of Countess Constance Markievicz was her younger sister, Eva Gore-Booth. Constance and Eva were particularly close during their childhood at Lissadell. This bond was to be immortalised by the artist Sarah Purser who painted the two girls when Eva was ten years of age and Constance was twelve. In the portrait Eva is seated on the ground of a woodland admiring flowers and Constance stands behind her defiantly staring out of the picture, almost challenging the viewer. The painting epitomises the complex and somewhat contradictory nature of the two sisters’ relationship. In adulthood, Constance smoked cigarettes, took up arms against British rule in Ireland and was a flamboyant, dramatic character, both on and off the stage. In contrast, Eva was severely asthmatic, a steadfast pacifist and favored a contemplative life. Eva became a radical political activist but was more comfortable in the background rather than appearing center stage, like her sister. Despite such personal contrasts, the sisters held similar goals in life and they were to remain remarkably close throughout their lives, even believing that they had a telepathic connection. This chapter examines this remarkable relationship.

Item Type:	Book Section
Faculty / Department:	Faculty of Creative Arts & Humanities > School of Humanities
Depositing User:	Sonja Tiernan
Date Deposited:	14 Apr 2016 14:36
Last Modified:	16 Dec 2024 10:33
URI:	https://hira.hope.ac.uk/id/eprint/1211

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