Mary Downing (née McCarthy; ''c.''1815–1881) was an Irish poet and

nationalist Nationalism is an idea or movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the State (polity), state. As a movement, it presupposes the existence and tends to promote the interests of a particular nation,Anthony D. Smith, Smith, A ...

best known by her pen name "Christabel". Some of her poetry appeared in ''The ballad poetry of Ireland'' (1869), a collection of verse edited by

Charles Gavan Duffy Sir Charles Gavan Duffy, Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George, KCMG, His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, PC (12 April 1816 – 9 February 1903), was an Irish poet and journalist (editor of ''The Nation (Irish news ...

Life

Mary Downing was born Mary McCarthy around 1815 in Kilfadda More,

Kilgarvan Kilgarvan () is a small village in County Kerry, Ireland. It is situated on the banks of the Roughty River which flows into Kenmare Bay. The nearest town is Kenmare which is 11 km to the west along the R569 road. Killarney is 18 km ...

County Kerry County Kerry () is a Counties of Ireland, county on the southwest coast of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. It is bordered by two other countie ...

. She was the eldest daughter of Daniel McCarthy, Esq. Over her life time, she used a number of pen names but is best known as "Christabel" or "Myrrha". Under these names, Downing published a large amount of her verse in the ''Cork Southern Reporter'' and the ''Freeholder''. Under the names "M.F.D." and "C**l" she contributed several poems to the ''Dublin Citizen''. Her best known work, ''Scraps from the mountains, and other poems'' was published in 1840 in

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

. She married Washington Downing (died 1877) of

Kenmare Kenmare () is a small town in the south of County Kerry, Ireland. The name Kenmare is the anglicised form of ''Ceann Mara'', meaning "head of the sea", referring to the head of Kenmare Bay. It is also a townland and civil parish. Location Ken ...

in the 1830s. He was the parliamentary reporter for the '' Daily News'', so the couple moved to

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

. Washington's brother was Timothy McCarthy Downing. Her daughter Helena Shearer was a famous

suffragette A suffragette was a member of an activist women's organisation in the early 20th century who, under the banner "Votes for Women", fought for the right to vote in public elections in the United Kingdom. The term refers in particular to members ...

. Downing was a dedicated

, and helped a number of the participants of the failed

Young Irelander Rebellion of 1848 The Young Irelander Rebellion was a failed Irish nationalist uprising led by the Young Ireland movement, part of the wider Revolutions of 1848 that affected most of Europe. It took place on 29 July 1848 at Farranrory, a small settlement about ...

escape to France. Her father remained at the family home in Kilfadda More and in September 1848, James Stephens and Michael Doheny sheltered there while they planned their escape from Ireland. Doheny escaped on a ship bound for

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...

as a

cleric Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

. Initially, it was suggested that Stephens could pose as Downing's maid as he was so young and could have passed for a woman. Stephens refused to take part in this plan, and instead travelled with Downing on the Sabarina posing as her servant boy. Stephens hid at the Downings home in London before travelling on to France. When he returned to the United Kingdom in 1856, he passed through their house again. The Downings lived at a number of London addresses, including

Pentonville Pentonville is an area in North London, located in the London Borough of Islington. It is located north-northeast of Charing Cross on the London Inner Ring Road, Inner Ring Road. Pentonville developed in the northwestern edge of the ancient p ...

, Cumming Street, and lastly Hilldrop Crescent,

Camden Town Camden Town () is an area in the London Borough of Camden, around north-northwest of Charing Cross. Historically in Middlesex, it is identified in the London Plan as one of 34 major centres in Greater London. Laid out as a residential distri ...

where she was living in 1871. Downing died in 1881 in London. Papers relating to Downing are held as part of the McCarthy papers in the

National Library of Ireland The National Library of Ireland (NLI; ) is Ireland's national library located in Dublin, in a building designed by Thomas Newenham Deane. The mission of the National Library of Ireland is "To collect, preserve, promote and make accessible the ...

. The bicentenary of her birth was celebrated in Kilgarvan, County Kerry.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Downing, Mary 1810s births 1881 deaths People from Kilgarvan 19th-century Irish poets 19th-century Irish writers 19th-century Irish women writers Writers from County Kerry Irish women poets