Dora Sigerson

-
Irish nationalist and Celtic revivalist DS published twenty-two volumes of poetry (in which ballads predominate), as well as two collections of short stories, one of short sketches, a fairy tale, a nursery rhyme, and a novel. Some of her poetry volumes reprint writing from earlier books. Some of her writings mix prose and poetry, narrative and song: a form of lyricism reminiscent of traditional Irish story-telling. Much of her poetry laments the loss of Celtic culture, mythology, language, and literature, grief for the golden past of Kathleen Ni Houlihan (the glorified female embodiment of Ireland), and mourning for the deaths of Irish nationalists and for the devastation inflicted on Ireland's land and people by years of warfare.
Hanley, Evelyn A. “Dora Sigerson Shorter: Late Victorian Romantic”. Victorian Poetry, Vol.
3
, No. 1, pp. 223-34.
232
She also addresses gender and family issues, telling tales of women who sacrifice themselves for love or for lovers, while their men are generally unconstant if not actually false.
“Dictionary of Literary Biography online”. Gale Databases: Literature Resource Center-LRC.
240
Her prose sketches reflect her love of nature and animals.

Milestones

16 August 1866

Dora Sigerson was born at 17 Richmond Hill in Dublin.
“Dictionary of Literary Biography online”. Gale Databases: Literature Resource Center-LRC.
240
Matthew, Henry Colin Gray et al., editors. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. http://www.oxforddnb.com/.

6 January 1918

After a year of severe illness and declining health, DS died at her home, 16 Marlborough Place, London—allegedly of grief for the continuing political subjection of Ireland.
Matthew, Henry Colin Gray et al., editors. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. http://www.oxforddnb.com/.

After January 1918

Poems which DS had written in response to World War One, and collected for publication, appeared posthumously in the year of her death as The Sad Years.
Tynan, Katharine, and Dora Sigerson. “Dora Sigerson: A Tribute and Some Memories”. The Sad Years, Constable, p. vii - xii.
vii

Biography

Birth and Background

16 August 1866

Dora Sigerson was born at 17 Richmond Hill in Dublin.
“Dictionary of Literary Biography online”. Gale Databases: Literature Resource Center-LRC.
240
Matthew, Henry Colin Gray et al., editors. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. http://www.oxforddnb.com/.