December 20, 1865

Maud Gonne McBride, Irish patriot, revolutionary and Home Rule activist, was born in Dublin on this day in 1865. Following her mother’s death, Gonne was sent to Paris for her education. When she returned to Ireland, Gonne moved to Donegal where she became involved in a campaign to protect people from home evictions. This was the start of her very active political career. She wrote articles on feminist and political issues and founded the revolutionary group, Daughters of Erin. However, she is best remembered as being William Butler Yeats’s muse, although she never returned his love.