Maud Gonne – the World’s Most Beautiful Revoutionary?
August 22nd, 2009 | 
Author: 
Russell Shortt asked:
Maud Gonne was born in Tongham, Surrey, England in 1865. Her father was an officer with the 17th Light Dragoons, in 1868 he was posted to Ireland and the whole family moved to Dublin. Her mother died in 1871 of tuberculosis, Maud and her sister were sent to be educated in France. In her teens she travelled widely throughout Europe, spending her winters in Switzerland and summers in Italy. She also was growing into a stunningly beautiful woman – six feet tall, beautiful face, hour-glass figure and long, way, red hair – she definitely stood out as one of the beauties of the age. In 1884, her father was once again posted to Dublin, Maud moved back and assumed the role of hostess of the household. When her father died in 1886, she returned to Paris where she met and fell in love with a French political activist named Lucien Millevoye who was already married, their relationship remained clandestine throughout Maud’s life. Influenced by Millevoye, Gonne was encouraged to take up the Irish nationalist cause against Britain, becoming involved with famine relief and the Land League in Ireland. Moving in these revolutionary circles, she met the poet William Butler Yeats in 1889, Yeats became obsessed by her and she inspired many of his most famous poems. Between 1893 and 1895 she had two children with Millevoye, Georgette died aged three, Iseult was raised by Maud as her niece. On a fund-raising tour of the States, she met John MacBride, Irish nationalist and veteran of the Boer War. They had a son, Sean, in 1904 but their marriage was far from a happy one and Maud fled to France taking Sean with her. In the aftermath of the 1916 Rising, MacBride was executed because of his role as a leader in the rebellion. Gonne was arrested along with a number of Irish nationalists in 1918 but was released when she fell into bad health. She spent the 1920s campaigning on behalf of Irish political prisoners.
Maud Gonne was born in Tongham, Surrey, England in 1865. Her father was an officer with the 17th Light Dragoons, in 1868 he was posted to Ireland and the whole family moved to Dublin. Her mother died in 1871 of tuberculosis, Maud and her sister were sent to be educated in France. In her teens she travelled widely throughout Europe, spending her winters in Switzerland and summers in Italy. She also was growing into a stunningly beautiful woman – six feet tall, beautiful face, hour-glass figure and long, way, red hair – she definitely stood out as one of the beauties of the age. In 1884, her father was once again posted to Dublin, Maud moved back and assumed the role of hostess of the household. When her father died in 1886, she returned to Paris where she met and fell in love with a French political activist named Lucien Millevoye who was already married, their relationship remained clandestine throughout Maud’s life. Influenced by Millevoye, Gonne was encouraged to take up the Irish nationalist cause against Britain, becoming involved with famine relief and the Land League in Ireland. Moving in these revolutionary circles, she met the poet William Butler Yeats in 1889, Yeats became obsessed by her and she inspired many of his most famous poems. Between 1893 and 1895 she had two children with Millevoye, Georgette died aged three, Iseult was raised by Maud as her niece. On a fund-raising tour of the States, she met John MacBride, Irish nationalist and veteran of the Boer War. They had a son, Sean, in 1904 but their marriage was far from a happy one and Maud fled to France taking Sean with her. In the aftermath of the 1916 Rising, MacBride was executed because of his role as a leader in the rebellion. Gonne was arrested along with a number of Irish nationalists in 1918 but was released when she fell into bad health. She spent the 1920s campaigning on behalf of Irish political prisoners.
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