Alice Milligan
Alice Milligan (1866-1953) was an Irish writer and nationalist born in Omagh, County Tyrone. She was raised in a culturally rich environment, which fostered her early interest in the Irish language and nationalism. After receiving her education at various institutions, including Methodist College in Belfast and King’s College, Oxford, Milligan became actively involved in Irish literary and nationalist circles during the late 19th century. She contributed poetry and articles to various nationalist publications, exploring themes related to Ireland's mythic past.
In 1892, she published her novel *A Royal Democrat* and became a member of the National Literary Society, where she formed connections with prominent figures such as W.B. Yeats and Anna Johnston, known as Ethna Carbery. Milligan also co-founded the Henry Joy McCracken Literary Society and later the journal *Shan Van Vocht*. Despite experiencing personal tragedies, including the deaths of family members and close friends, she continued to advocate for the Gaelic League and wrote plays, with her work *The Last Feast of the Fianna* being produced by Yeats's Irish Literary Theatre.
Over her lifetime, Milligan faced significant challenges, including poverty in her later years, but she remained a dedicated voice for Irish nationalism and language preservation. Her legacy was recognized posthumously with an honorary doctorate from the National University of Ireland in 1941, affirming her important role in the Irish literary landscape.
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Alice Milligan
Writer
- Born: September 14, 1866
- Birthplace: Omagh, County Tyrone, Ireland
- Died: April 13, 1953
- Place of death: Omagh, County Tyrone, Ireland
Biography
Alice Milligan was born in Omagh, County Tyrone, Ireland, on September 14, 1866, the daughter of Seaton F. Milligan, a wealthy salesman and antiquarian, and Charlotte Burns Milligan. At an early age, she accompanied her uncle Armour Alcorn when he traveled among farm laborers; it was in this context that she first became acquainted with the Irish language. After attending a private school in Omagh, Milligan matriculated at the Methodist College in Belfast in 1879. Her interest in Irish affairs grew during this time. In 1886, she attended the Ladies Department of King’s College, Oxford University, returning to Belfast the following year. She next took a position at the Ladies College in Derry.
In 1888, after working with her father on a book titled Glimpses of Erin, Milligan decided to go to Dublin to learn Irish. She also developed an interest in Irish nationalism, and during the early 1890’s she was a regular contributor to nationalist publications, writing poetry that generally was about Ireland’s mythic past. In 1892 her novel, A Royal Democrat, was published. The National Literary Society, founded by William Butler Yeats and John O’Leary, admitted Milligan in 1893. She became friends with both Yeats and the writer Anna Johnston, who wrote under the name Ethna Carbery. At Yeats’s urging, Milligan began to write plays.
In 1894, Milligan and her friends founded the Henry Joy McCracken Literary Society. The mission of the organization was to study Irish history and language. Carbery and Milligan edited the journal, The Northern Patriot, for a short time before founding their own journal, Shan Van Vocht, in 1896. Milligan turned her attention to the Gaelic League at the close of the nineteenth century. In addition, in February, 1900, her play. The Last Feast of the Fianna: A Dramatic Legend, was produced by Yeats’s Irish Literary Theatre.
Milligan suffered a series of personal losses, including the death of Carbery and one of her sisters in 1902. Nevertheless, she became a well-known writer and speaker on behalf of the Gaelic League. In 1908, Milligan published her first book of poetry, Hero Lays. Illnesses in her family soon prevented further travel, however, and by 1916, she had lost her mother and father. The events of the Easter Uprising in 1916 profoundly affected her life; many of her nationalist friends were arrested and others were put to death.
In the years to come, Milligan found herself impoverished and without a home in Ireland. When she and her brother William, who had served in the British army in World War I, moved to Dublin, his life was threatened by the Irish Republican Army. Eventually, the two settled with William’s wife and child in Omagh. After outliving nearly everyone in her family, Milligan died on April 13, 1953, in Omagh.
Milligan was well known in her day for her deep commitment to Ireland’s language and to Irish nationalism. These contributions were recognized by an honorary doctorate awarded to Milligan by the National University of Ireland in 1941. As a writer, and as a member of Yeats’s circle, Milligan deserves an important place in Irish literary history.