Sir, - I refer to two letters published on April 3rd on the subject of my recent biography of Grace Gifford Plunkett.
Seoirse Plunkett deals with my reference to the miscarriage Grace is alleged to have suffered shortly after the East Rising in 1916. The evidence that this happened is contained in the unpublished memoirs of Geraldine Dillon, who was a sister of Joseph Mary Plunkett. These memoirs are in the Manuscripts Department of the National Library of Ireland and became available to the public in 1998.
It now appears that there is a conflict of evidence as Mr Plunkett writes that Fiona Plunkett, another sister of Joseph Mary, told him there was no truth in the allegation. Both he and your other correspondent, Anne Clare, state that the late Maeve Donnelly, Grace's niece, also denied that Grace had been pregnant at the time of her marriage.
I interviewed Maeve Donnelly in 1997. I put it to her that there had always been rumours that Grace had been pregnant and asked her if she had any comment to make about these stories. Maeve told me that - to the best of her knowledge and belief - the rumours were absolutely untrue. At that time the papers of Geraldine Dillon were not available but when I eventually saw them I decided I had to refer to her statement in my book. It was, after all, written evidence from a well-known member of the Plunkett family on a subject that had been talked about for many years.
Geraldine's statement was explicit about the miscarriage, which she said happened at Larkfield in Kimmage where Grace was staying in the immediate aftermath of the Rising. At this point in time, it seems unlikely that conclusive evidence on the matter will ever be found. In any case, my own view is that this issue is not the most important one in considering the life story of Grace.
Anne Clare's letter gives very interesting information about the marriage of Grace's parents, Frederick Gifford and Isabella Burton, and the religious upbringing of their children. My statement that the boys of the family (unlike the girls) had been raised as Roman Catholics (the religion of their father) now appears to be incorrect. It was based on the "Conclusion" which the late Jack White, a distinguished journalist, wrote to the memoirs of Sydney Gifford Czira, Grace's younger sister, which were published in 1974 with the title The Years Flew By. His understanding was that the "Palatine Pact" had been availed of in the mixed marriage of the Gifford parents. This system was in general use in Ireland until the "Ne Temere" decree was issued by the Catholic Church in 1908. The older arrangement allowed the boys of the family to follow the religion of their father and the girls that of their mother. Jack White knew Sydney Gifford Czira well and I had then no reason to doubt his statement. - Yours, etc.,
Marie O'Neill, Glenageary, Co Dublin.