On this Primary Day we are thinking about our sister from across the sea, Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, born in Ireland in 1877. In her lifetime Hanna worked tirelessly for women’s suffrage, for equal rights, and for Irish independence. Three components she believed were crucial to Irelands future. “Until the women of Ireland are free, the men will not achieve emancipation.” (Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington, 1909).

Following the execution of her husband without trial during the 1916 Easter Rising Hanna travelled to America, under false papers having been forbidden to travel by the government, to gain support for the rights of Ireland to self-determination and to give an inside history of the Irish Rebellion. Her talk, “British Militarism as I Have Known It”, took her to over 250 venues around the United States, including Carnegie Hall in New York as well as an audience with then President Woodrow Wilson. Throughout her tour over $40,000 was raised for the cause of Irish Independence. After smuggling herself back into Ireland she was jailed briefly in England before being released and resuming her fight in her homeland. Hanna returned to the United States in 1922 to raise funds for the American Committee of Irish Republican Soldiers and Prisoners’ Dependents Fund.

John Devoy, a leader of Irish Republicianism in America wrote, “Mrs. Skeffington has done more real good to the cause of Ireland during her short stay in America than all the Irish orators and writers over the past 25 years.”

On the 100th Anniversary of Hanna’s tour of the United States her granddaughter, Dr. Micheline Sheehy Skeffington, who continues Hanna's fight for equality, is traveling to America to retrace her grandmother's steps. She will be speaking all over the country (dates below) about her grandmother's legacy, women rights, and to film the documentary, “Hanna and Me: Passing on the Flame.”

Watch the video above and explore the links below to learn more about the indelible Hanna Sheehy Skeffington.
Breaking the Mould, Hanna Sheehy Skeffington
Hanna and Me: Passing on the Flame
Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington: The Life and Times of the Great Irish Suffragette
Irish Rebel's Granddaughter Aims to Carry on Her Legacy with US Tour
Micheline Sets Sail to America
Remembering Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, a Truly Independent Irish Woman

Hanna’s US Tour
The following are the New York dates posted on Hanna's US Tour Facebook page. Please visit the tour Facebook page for the most up-to-date information or contact Joanna.McM[email protected] for further information.

SEPTEMBER  
7th - American Irish Historical Society, New York NY
9th - Ireland House radio interview, New York NY
25th - Irish American Heritage Museum, Albany NY (beautiful write-up on the Facebook Event page) 
26th - Emma Willard School Keynote lecture, Albany NY

OCTOBER
18th - Le Moyne College, Syracuse NY
19th-20th 
TBC, Rochester NY
TBC, Buffalo NY

NOVEMBER
Nov. 20th - New York University, New York NY