Restoration of the grave of Anna Parnell
Ireland’s Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht has funded the restoration of the grave of Anna Parnell in Ilfracombe, Devon.
The restoration of her grave by the Irish Government is a step towards the full acknowledgment of the substantial and vital contribution made by women to Irish history. This has come to the fore of public consciousness with projects such as the “Women of the Rising” as part of the Decade of Centenaries by the Irish Government.
Anna Parnell, along with her brother Charles, was instrumental in the formation of the Land League in Ireland in the late 1800s.
After the visit of Michael Davitt to New York to fundraise for the cause of the Irish Land League, Anna Parnell, along with her sister Fanny, spearheaded a campaign that raised thousands of pounds for the cause in America. On her return to Ireland she became the effective leader of the Ladies’ Irish National Land League which was founded on 31st January 1881. This is a significant landmark as it was the first time women in Ireland formed a mainstream political organisation.
On 20th September 1911, Anna Parnell drowned while swimming, and was buried in Ilfracombe, Devon with only a handful of witnesses present.
Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Josepha Madigan T.D. said “I am delighted to have the opportunity to lend my support to such a worthy project. The Government is striving to shine a light on the major influence that women, such as Anna Parnell, have had on the formation of modern day Ireland. With the restoration of her grave, it is hoped that her rightful place in history alongside her contemporaries in the Irish Land League will be recognised and celebrated by the wider public.”
Ireland’s Ambassador to the UK, Adrian O’Neill said “One of the legacies of the Ireland 2016 programme to commemorate the events of 1916 was a greater understanding of and appreciation for the role of women in Ireland’s history. By highlighting Anna Parnell’s story, we continue that legacy.”
According to Ms Lucy Keaveney, who was instrumental in bringing Anna Parnell’s achievements and her final resting place to light, “the time has come for Anna to get the recognition she deserves and to have her name written back into history”.
