Christine Longford, Countess of Longford (née Trew; born 6 September 1900 in

Somerset Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east ...

, died 14 May 1980,

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 ...

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

) was a playwright. Following her parents' separation her mother took in lodgers while Christine attended Oxford Wells High School. She won a scholarship to study classics at

Somerville College, Oxford Somerville College is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. It was founded in 1879 as Somerville Hall, one of its first two women's colleges. It began admitting men in 1994. The colle ...

. While there she met and in 1925 married Edward Pakenham, 6th Earl of Longford. She moved to Ireland with her husband in 1925. They divided their time between Dublin and Pakenham Hall, now

Tullynally Castle Tullynally Castle, also known as Pakenham Hall, is a country house situated some 2 km from Castlepollard on the Coole village road in County Westmeath, Ireland. The Gothic-style building has over 120 rooms and has been home to the Paken ...

, in Castlepollard,

County Westmeath County Westmeath (; or simply ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It formed part of the historic Kingdom of ...

. In 1930, Christine Longford and her husband bought shares in The Dublin

Gate Theatre The Gate Theatre is a theatre on Cavendish Row in Dublin, Ireland. It was founded in 1928. History Beginnings The Gate Theatre was founded in 1928 by Hilton Edwards and Micheál MacLiammóir with Daisy Bannard Cogley and Gearóid Ó Lochla ...

Company. In addition to designing costumes and managing productions Christine wrote plays including ''Lord Edward'' and ''

Patrick Sarsfield Patrick Sarsfield, 1st Earl of Lucan ( 1655 – 21 August 1693) was an Irish army officer. Killed at Battle of Landen, Landen in 1693 while serving in the French Royal Army, he is now best remembered as an Irish patriot and military hero. Born ...

''. She also adapted novels for the stage,

Jane Austen Jane Austen ( ; 16 December 1775 – 18 July 1817) was an English novelist known primarily for #List of works, her six novels, which implicitly interpret, critique, and comment on the English landed gentry at the end of the 18th century ...

's ''

Pride and Prejudice ''Pride and Prejudice'' is the second published novel (but third to be written) by English author Jane Austen, written when she was age 20-21, and later published in 1813. A novel of manners, it follows the character development of Elizabe ...

'' among them. The company suffered when the Longfords withdrew their backing. Her books include ''A Biography of Dublin'', published as part of the Biographies of Cities series, ''Country Places'', published by Parkside Press Dublin and ''Making Conversation'', republished by

Persephone Books ''Persephone Books'' is an independent publisher based in Bath, England. Founded in 1999 by Nicola Beauman, Persephone Books reprints works largely by women writers of the late 19th and 20th century, though a few books by men are included. Th ...

in 2009. She figures extensively in two books: ''No Profit but the Name: the Longfords and the Gate Theatre'' and ''The Boys: a double biography''.Fitz-Simon, Christopher ''The Boys: a double biography'', Nick Hern Books, London, 1994

Bibliography

* Longford, Christine. ''Vespasian and Some of his Contemporaries''. Hodges and Figgis, 1928. * Longford, Christine. ''Making Conversation'', 1931. (Reprinted,

, 2009.
Preface by Rachel Billington
* Longford, Christine. ''Country Places''. Parkside Press, Dublin, 1932. * Longford, Christine., and the Earl of Longford. ''The Oresteia'' (trans.), Hodges and Figgis, 1933. * Longford, Christine. ''Mr. Jiggins of Jigginstown''. Gollancz, 1933. * Longford, Christine. ''Printed Cotton''. Methuen, 1935. * Longford, Christine. ''A Biography of Dublin''. Methuen, 1936. * Longford, Christine. ''Lord Edward''. Methuen, 1940. * Longford, Christine. ''The United Brothers''. Hodges and Figgis, 1942. * Longford, Christine. ''Patrick Sarsfield''. Hodges and Figgis, 1943. * Longford, Christine. ''The Earl of Straw''. Hodges and Figgis, 1944. * Le Fanu, J. Sheridan. ''Uncle Silas'' (Specially edited by Christine Longford). Penguin, 1947. * Longford, Christine. ''Tarkardstown, or A Lot to be Thankful For''. P.J. Bourke, 1948. * Longford, Christine. ''Mr. Supple''. P.J. Bourke, 1949. * Longford, Christine. ''Hill of Quirke''. P.J. Bourke, 1958. *

References

External links

Irish Playography

WorldCat

Rachel Billington on her aunt Christine

Author Profile
at Persephone Books *

' at Persephone Books {{DEFAULTSORT:Longford, Christine 1900 births 20th-century Irish dramatists and playwrights Irish women dramatists and playwrights Irish countesses by marriage British women dramatists and playwrights Burials at Mount Jerome Cemetery and Crematorium 1980 deaths 20th-century British women writers 20th-century English dramatists and playwrights Alumni of Somerville College, Oxford