Love Stories

Great Irish Love Stories – passion tinged with tragedy

Ireland has had a turbulent history full of invasions, suppression and endless rebellions.

It’s perhaps not surprising then that the political and social turbulence has created many great love stories full of passion, heartache and – all too often – tragedy.

These are just some of the stories that emerged over centuries of turmoil and trouble.

Joseph Plunkett and Grace Gifford

Plunkett and Gifford were both leading Irish nationalists at the beginning of the 20th century. Plunkett was one of the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising.

He was engaged to Grace Gifford when the Rising began and planned to marry her as soon as it was over.

However, he was captured and sentenced to be executed by firing squad. The authorities allowed him to marry Grace in Kilmainham Jail in a ceremony witnessed only by soldiers who lined the chapel corridors.

Shortly after the marriage, Plunkett was taken out and shot.

The marriage and subsequent execution outraged public opinion in Ireland and helped fan the flames of Irish nationalism and increase support for Irish independence. Click here for the full story of Jospeh Plunkett and Grace Gifford.

Soon we shall have more on Ireland’s great love stories, including indepth articles on these couples:

Michael Collins and Kitty Kiernan

Michael Collins and Kitty Kiernan are yet another Irish couple whose relationship was constantly interrupted – and eventually ended – by Ireland’s complicated and turbulent history.

Collins took part in the Easter Rising of 1916 and went on to become one of Ireland’s most successful revolutionary leaders.

He met and fell in love with Kitty Kiernan in 1917. They planned to marry but Collins’ political commitments kept them apart. They were only able to consummate their love on one occasion before Collins was killed when he was ambushed during the Irish Civil War.

Charles Parnell and Kitty O’Shea

Charles Parnell was one of the towering political figures of the 19th century.

He became hugely popular as he campaigned for greater rights for ordinary Irish people in their own country.

Such was his influence that he was sometimes described as the “uncrowned king of Ireland”.

At the height of his career, however, he was suddenly brought crashing down – not by a political opponent but by his love life.

For Parnell had fallen in love and set up home with a married woman, Kitty O’Shea. They had three children together.

Kitty’s husband tolerated the situation for many years but then suddenly decided to sue for divorce.

It caused a great scandal and many of Parnell’s supporters deserted him.

He remained true to Kitty, however, despite the political cost and even though it effectively ended his career.

William Butler Yeats and Maud Gonne

W B Yeats was one of the greatest poets of the 20th century and a Nobel prize winner.

Maud Gonne was an actress.

She was tall and beautiful and she met Yeats when they were both in their early 20s.

Yeats fell in love with her but his feelings were not reciprocated.

It became a long standing story of unrequited love that was to last for 50 years.

Gonne starred in some of Yeats’ greatest plays and much of his poetry was written for her.

He asked her to marry him several times but she always refused.

However, they eventually shared a night of passion together in Paris.

Patrick Kavanagh and Hilda Moriarty

Patrick Kavanagh was one of Ireland’s finest writers. In the 1940s he chanced upon a young medical student as he walked along Raglan Road in Dublin where he lived.

The girl’s name was Hilda Moriarty. She was only 22 at the time, whereas Kavanagh was over 40.

He fell hopelessly in love with her but, although Moriarty began a relationship with him, it did not last.

Many years later, she explained that she had thought the age gap between them was too great.

Kavanagh was heartbroken but went on to tell the story of their relationship in a poem that was later put to music and turned into one of the finest love songs of the 20th century – Raglan Road.

Joseph Plunkett and Grace Gifford