Barbara Fitzgerald (16 December 1911 – 21 May 1982) was an Irish

novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living wage, living writing novels and other fiction, while other ...

Life

Barbara Fitzgerald was born Barbara Gregg in

Cork "Cork" or "CORK" may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Stopper (plug), or "cork", a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container *** Wine cork an item to seal or reseal wine Places Ireland * ...

on 16 December 1911. Her parents were John Allen Fitzgerald Gregg and Anna Gregg (née Jennings). Fitzgerald spent her youth in

Kilkenny Kilkenny ( , meaning 'church of Cainnech of Aghaboe, Cainnech'). is a city in County Kilkenny, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is located in the South-East Region, Ireland, South-East Region and in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinst ...

and

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 ...

, attending school in England. She entered

Trinity College Dublin Trinity College Dublin (), officially titled The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, and legally incorporated as Trinity College, the University of Dublin (TCD), is the sole constituent college of the Unive ...

as a foundation scholar in 1931. In 1933 she graduated with honours in Italian and French. She married Michael Fitzgerald Somerville on 21 August 1935 at

St Bartholomew's Church, Dublin Saint Bartholomew's Church, Dublin, is a Church of Ireland (Anglican) parish church located on Clyde Road in Ballsbridge on the Southside of Dublin. History The church was consecrated in 1867. Many of its original features are intact, such ...

. As a society wedding, people lined the streets of

Ballsbridge Ballsbridge () (from historic Ball's Bridge) is an affluent neighbourhood of the city of Dublin, the capital of Ireland. The area is largely situated north and west of a three-arch stone bridge across the River Dodder, on the south side of the ...

to watch the wedding party pass. Fitzgerald's father performed the wedding ceremony, with the couple then honeymooning in Scotland. Her husband was an oil executive, and the couple lived in west Africa until the beginning of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

when they returned to England. Her father-in-law was Henry Boyle Townshend Somerville, who was murdered on 14 March 1936 by the IRA. Her first novel, ''We are besieged'', was published in 1946 and describes the destruction of an Irish big house in 1920, Butler's Hill. Some of the scenes and settings are similar to those used by

Elizabeth Bowen Elizabeth Dorothea Cole Bowen ( ; 7 June 1899 – 22 February 1973) was an Anglo-Irish people, Anglo-Irish novelist and short story writer notable for her books about "The Big House in Ireland, the Big House" of Irish Landed gentry, landed ...

. Her second novel, ''Footprints upon water'', was first published in 1955 and was reissued after her death in 1983. ''We are besieged'' was republished again in 2011, and ''Footprints upon water'' in 2012 leading to a rediscovery of her work. Fitzgerald retired to Ireland in 1968 with her husband. She suffered with ill health for a number of years, succumbing to early dementia. She died in Dublin on 21 May 1982. She had a son, Julian and a daughter, Christina.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fitzgerald, Barbara 1911 births 1982 deaths Writers from Cork (city) 20th-century Anglo-Irish people 20th-century British women writers Irish women novelists 20th-century Irish novelists