A chara, – Today is the 94th anniversary of the execution of Major John MacBride. A recently published book on the Easter Rising by Fearghal McGarry, based on witness statements of the participants, testifies again to the bravery of MacBride at Jacob’s factory. When he was encouraged to leave the building before the actual surrender took place, as he could have since he was dressed in civilian clothes, he declined to do so, saying, “Liberty is a priceless thing and any one of you that sees a chance, take it. I’d do so myself but my liberty days are over. Good luck boys”. This echoed the bravery he had shown during his founding and co-leading an Irish-Transvaal Brigade during the Boer War.
Afterwards, he went to Paris where he married Maud Gonne, despite advice from both their friends that such a marriage was foolish. They soon agreed to separate but could not agree on the fate of their baby son, the future Seán MacBride. A bitter divorce case ensued. Maud made allegations against John. She detailed them to WB Yeats, who, as her long-term suitor, was happy to believe them. He publicised them in his letters and poetry. Because Yeats has become such an icon to so many literary academics, his writing carries great weight. Some of those who have written of Yeats have pronounced his “verdict” on John MacBride authentic. The fact that MacBride successfully challenged the allegations in the divorce court in Paris and emerged with his good name intact has been ignored by some of these “scholars”.
The latest addition to this ignoble band is found in the entry in the recently published and much feted Dictionary of Irish Biography. The extensive entry on Maud Gonne lists her allegations against her husband, but makes no reference to his successful rebuttal of them in court. To add insult to injury, the entry does not list as reference my book The Yeats/Gonne/ MacBride Triangle – the one book that has comprehensively dealt with the divorce case. – Is mise,
ANTHONY JORDAN,
Gilford Road, Dublin 4.
