Madam, – I am researching the life of Miss Eva O’Flaherty of Lisdonagh House (1874-1963) Caherlistrane and St Colman’s Knitting Industry, Achill for a book and would be grateful to hear from people who knew of her.
Her father was Young Irelander Martin O’Flaherty, her mother an O’Gorman who subsequently remarried a Lawlor from Limerick. Eva went to Mount Anville, trained as a milliner in London, modeled hats in Paris and was a co-founder of Scoil Acla in 1910 with Mrs Waddell, Claude Chavasse, Frank Power and Darrell Figgis et al.
She was a strong Cumann na mBan supporter, and Paul Henry was a friend, as were Marie Howet, Éamon de Valera, Pádraig Pearse, Douglas Hyde, Siobhan Betts, Cardinal D’Alton, Peter Grant, Montgomery architects, Dr Mark Ryan, the Glynns from Kiltimagh and Derek Hill. – Yours, etc,