The Pearse sisters: a family at war

In 1954, Irving Berlin wrote the song Sisters which appeared in the film White Christmas. “Sisters, sisters, there were never such devoted sisters” is the opening line of a song which presents a candy-coated, rose-tinted-glasses view of sisterhood.

Many of the famous (or infamous) sisters alive today have built successful careers on the basis of close relationships with their sisters; Kim, Kourtney and Khloé Kardashian are undoubtedly the most adept at playing out every aspect of their sororal relationship in the public eye. However, throughout history, there are many examples of sisters whose relationships could best be described as complicated or, at worst, toxic; Anne and Mary Boleyn, Charlotte and Anne Brontë, and LaVerne, Patty and Maxene Andrews (the Andrews Sisters), are some notable examples. Whether it is the build-up of years of resentment from childhood, sibling rivalry, a clash of personalities or just plain old-fashioned hatred, a falling-out among sisters can be particularly nasty.

Two years ago we began researching Margaret and Mary Brigid Pearse, sisters of Patrick and Willie, who were executed for their roles in the Easter Rising of 1916. The Pearse sisters have long been overshadowed by their famous brothers but we soon discovered that they also travelled interesting paths in life. Margaret was a teacher, Irish language activist and politician who shared Patrick’s educational vision for a bilingual education system and his political vision of an independent Irish nation. Mary Brigid was a musician, teacher, actress and author of short stories, children’s stories, and dramas, but did not agree with her family’s political activism. Margaret and Mary Brigid never enjoyed a close relationship like Patrick and Willie; however, they both shared a deep affection for their brothers.

Margaret and Mary Brigid’s reactions to their brothers’ actions in 1916 contrasted greatly. Mary Brigid questioned and was often frustrated by the legacy of the Rising. She spent much of her life trying to reconcile why her beloved Patrick would abandon a loving family for his political ideals. On the contrary, Margaret unquestioningly, often blindly, supported her brothers’ decisions and accepted the consequences of their actions. She was a formidable, well educated, intelligent woman who could have achieved success in any career she chose. Instead, she relinquished her personal ambitions and aspirations and embraced Patrick’s philosophy that viewed sacrifice as an integral part of nationalism. Margaret served as a Fianna Fáil TD for Co Dublin from 1933 to 1937 and later as a Senator from 1938 until her death in 1968. Over the years, Margaret rarely spoke in the Dáil or Seanad but was outspoken on contemporary political, social and cultural issues in her public addresses/speeches which she delivered around the country during the 1940s and 1950s.

When their mother died in 1932, Margaret assumed the role of matriarch of the Pearse family, honouring the memory of her brothers at State and social events. She was also appointed sole executrix of their mother’s will. Soon after the terms of the will were disclosed, Mary Brigid sought legal advice because she was unhappy with its terms and Margaret’s appointment as executrix. The relationship between the two sisters had been fractious since their childhood, and Patrick or their mother often acted as peacemaker between them. Whatever relationship existed before their mother’s death was irrevocably destroyed following the reading of the will. Mary Brigid’s main grievances were over property, rental income, the royalties from Patrick’s literary works and the ownership of his unfinished autobiography. She decided to pursue a case against her sister Margaret through the courts on the grounds of the maladministration of their mother’s will. In September 1935, contemporary newspapers such as the Irish Examiner and Evening Herald featured short articles entitled “Sisters at Law” and “Sisters’ Dispute”. The following year, Mary Brigid withdrew the case, discharged her Senior and Junior Counsel, settled her bill with her solicitors and cut all ties with her older sister.

One of the main bones of contention between the Pearse sisters was the ownership of Patrick's unfinished autobiography, which Mary Brigid included in her book, The Home-Life of Pádraig Pearse. When we started writing our book, Sisters of the Revolutionaries: The Story of Margaret and Mary Brigid Pearse (Irish Academic Press, €14.99), our mother jokingly advised us not to fall out over a book, she said "don't let history repeat itself!" To date, we are still on good terms. After all, free baby sitting and access to a second wardrobe full of clothes and shoes should never be underestimated.