105
800Years IrishPolitical, Literary&MilitaryHistory - 15thApril2014
278 [MARKIEVICZ,Constance]
ApostcarddepictingConstance, CountessMarkievicz, byKeoghBros., ofDublin.
€150 - 200
275 MARKIEVICZ, Stanislaw
[sonofKazimierzCountMarkiewicz]
A long and rambling TLS, 5 pp, dated Dalkey - Dec. 17 (no year, probably circa 1942), to ‘Dear Mrs. Leon-
ard’ (Kathleen Leonard, nee Kilgallon, daughter of Thomas Kilgallon, butler to the Gore Booth family).
It is not entirely clear what is the purpose of Markievicz’ letter. He mentions a book and/or film outline
he is writing, some parts of which he has sent to Mrs. Leonard, also his financial tribulations, his trou-
bles with the Post Office (apparently over his habit of sending letters enclosed in newspapers), documents
he has lodged with the National Museum, his desire to ‘vindicate the good-name of my dead parents ..
dragged in the mud .. I refer principally to Sean O’F’s ‘masterpiece’ - he, too, is not going to get away with it
..’ [the reference is presumably to Sean O’Faolain’s biography of Countess Markievicz], etc., also discuss-
ing his efforts to enlist with the Polish forces as an interpreter, 1940-41; mentioning an occasion when
[the Countess’ daughter] Maeve caused him some embarrassment with the Gore-Booths in Sligo, etc. etc.
With an original snapshot photograph, 3 x 4 ins [8 x 10 cms], showing Countess Markievicz carrying a tri-
colour, in a group of five women, circa 1913-15, taken outside the Catholic curate’s house in Grange,
Co. Sligo. The lady to her left is said to be Mrs. Kathleen Leonard, to whom the letter above is written;
also with three other snapshots, showing scenes from a funeral (said to be that of Cathal Brugha [1922].
Constance Gore-Booth went to Paris to study art, and in 1900 married Kazimierz de Markievicz, a Pol-
ish-Ukranian landowner who styled himself Count Markievicz. Stanislaw was his son from a previous rela-
tionship. The marriage did not last, but Casimir continued to return to Dublin from time to time until about
1913. CountessMarkievicz took part in the 1916Rising, was sentenced todeath and reprieved. She died in 1927.
Provenance: The vendor of these items is a grandsonofKathleenLeonard, neeKilgallon. Adetailed letter of
provenence is available to thepurchaser.
As a collection,w.a.f.
€400 - 600
276 [MARKIEVICZ,Constance]
Rallying Songs. Number Three. TheArt Depot, Irish-IrelandPublishers, Dublin, circa 1917. 4 pp. Quarto (single
folded sheet). Includes Markievicz’s ‘A Battle Hymn’ (dedicated to the Irish Citizen Army), also ‘Whack fol the
Diddle’ andoneother songbyPeadarOCearnaigh, and ‘TheFlagof Freedom’ by JosephStanley. ‘TheRajah from
Frongoch’ has two songs, also ‘ALament forPatrickPearse’ by JosephCrofts’ and ‘TheBonnieBunchofRoses,O!’
bySeanO’Casey. Rare.
€100 - 150
277 MARKIEVICZ,Constance.
ACall to theWomen of Ireland. Being a Lecture delivered to the Students’ National Literary Society, Dublin, under the title of ‘Women,
Ideals, and theNation’.Dublin: FergusO’Connor, 1918. 16pp.Averygood copyof this scarcenationalist pamphlet.
ConstanceGore-Booth (CountessMarkievicz, 1868-1927), revolutionary, was born to anAnglo-Irish ascendancy family, andwas educated
at the family seat in Lissadell, Co. Sligo. She is one of themost romanticised political figures of the early twentieth century. She studied
painting inParis,where shemet herPolishhusbandCasimirMarkievicz,whom she later amicably separated from.
Shebecame a follower of SinnFéinbut disagreedwith the approachof its leader,ArthurGriffith. She founded a youthorganisation, Fianna
Eireann and joined Inghinidhe na hEireann for which she wrote ‘ACall to theWomen of Ireland’ and contributed also to the suffragette
newspaper, ‘BeannahEireann’.
Later sheworked closelywith JamesConnolly, ran a soupkitchen inLibertyHall during theDublin lock-out of 1913. Shebecame anofficer
in the IrishCitizenArmy, thisprompted the resignationof itsgeneral secretary, SeanO’Casey.During theEasterRebellionof1916 she served
as second-in-command toMichaelMallinatSt. Stephen’sGreen, sentenced todeathbutwas reprievedonaccountofher sex. Shewas the first
woman ever elected to theHouseofCommons in1918, but as amember of SinnFéindidnot takeher seat.
€200 - 300
