Tragic death of Muriel Gifford
Dublin, 11 July 1917 - Muriel Gifford, the wife of the executed 1916 leader Thomas MacDonagh, has drowned tragically near Skerries.
She had gone to Skerries for a holiday where, along with other bereaved relatives of the executed leaders, she stayed at ‘Mirimar’, a beach house rented by the National Aid.
She tried to swim to Shenick Island, a mile away, but never returned. Her body was eventually found washed up on the shore about a quarter of a mile away from the scene of the tragedy. She was lying face down with her hands crossed.
Gifford’s funeral took place at the Pro Cathedral in Dublin and was attended by, among others, her sister Grace, Count Plunkett MP, Áine Ceannt, Nancy O’Rahilly, Kathleen Clarke, William Cosgrave, Eamonn Duggan and Christine Connolly. Eamon de Valera, recently elected as MP for East Clare, and Countess Markievicz were also at the graveside in Glasnevin.
The ladies of Cumann na mBan walked in military order behind the procession. Many of the men and women who attended the funeral wore republican emblems on their coats.
An estimated 5,000 people joined the funeral procession.
[Editor's note: This is an article from Century Ireland, a fortnightly online newspaper, written from the perspective of a journalist 100 years ago, based on news reports of the time.]
