1. Early life

2. Later life in Ireland

3. References

4. External links

Nancy (Brown) O'Rahilly (1878 –1961) was an American-born Irish nationalist who was involved in the founding and early activities of several institutions in Ireland in the early 20th century.

Early life

Nancy Brown, known to her family and friends as Nannie, was born on 5th Avenue, Manhattan, New York City to a wealthy American industrialist family in 1878. Nancy would be better known by her married name O'Rahilly, and her part in the Irish Revolution. Her husband, The O'Rahilly, was one of the martyrs of Irish independence and freedom, dying as one of the leaders of the Easter Rising, the most senior casualty of the events of Easter week 1916.

Nancy was educated in the United States, before visiting Ireland, which she liked.{{fact|date=January 2019}} She later attended an Ursuline convent in Paris.^[1] She first met Michael Rahilly, when he was a medical student in Dublin. Known to him as Nannie, they were engaged, deciding thereafter to move to New York, her fiancé following to be near her. He sold his family business in County Kerry, before moving to America. They were married on 15 April 1899. Rahilly worked for her father's Brown Mills Company. Their first child came soon after on 14 March 1900, named Bobby. They lived in New York until 1902, before moving back to Ireland. Bobby died in June 1903^[2] but another son, Richard (always known as 'Mac') was born on 3 July 1903. They lived in Paris, and then Brighton, before Egan [Irish gaelic: Aodogan] in 1904. They then moved to London. In 1905, they moved again back to New York, and closed the family business, Brown Mills, which had failed. Their fourth son, Niall was born in Philadelphia in December 1906. They lived in New York until 1909.

Later life in Ireland

Nancy and her husband returned to Ireland to live near sisters Nell and Anna Humphreys. Rahilly assisted on Sinn Fein Daily newspapers. They joined the Gaelic League and became fluent in the Irish language (gaelic). O'Rahilly contributed to Irish Freedom, editor of An Claidheamh Soluis, the Gaelic League paper.^[3]

Nannie joined Cumann na mBan in 1914 and was elected to its founding Executive Committee.^[4][5][6] Two oldest sons joined Fianna Eireann. Michael O'Rahilly was killed during Easter Rising. Her last child was born in July 1916. Her house at 40 Herbert Park, Ballsbridge, County Dublin where she lived with her young family was raided by British soldiers in mid-1916.^[7]

In 1917, Nannie went to see her sisters in USA. In autumn 1917, she returned. In 1920, she joined the White Cross organization, and she was appointed to the executive committee^[8]{{rp|257}} and spoke on a fundraising tour of the USA.^[9]

She became a Vice-President of Cumann na mBan,^[8]{{rp|288}} but resigned in 1922, during the Irish Civil War, when her son was fighting for the anti-treaty IRA, which she also supported.^[2] She also acted on the Winding-Up Committee in 1925.

She died in 1961, and was buried in Glasnevin Cemetery.

References

External links

• https://archive.is/20150309094405/http://dublincitypubliclibraries.com/image/wbtm-18-madame-orahilly
• http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/the-orahillys-note-26408814.html
• http://www.historyireland.com/20th-century-contemporary-history/cumann-na-mban-by-joseph-e-a-connell-jr/

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