Eva Gore-Booth (1870-1926) Transforming Thinking

Written by Ben Kesp 

Eva Gore-Booth was born into the grandeur of Lissadell House, Co. Sligo, built between 1830 and 1835 by her grandfather Sir Robert Gore-Booth, 4th Baronet, a political and landowning family. She would leave the privileged lifestyle behind her in order to be a voice for the suffering, the feminist movement and minority groups of society. It was through the power of words she became a change agent, a woman who believed in transformation. 

Eva was the daughter of Sir Henry Gore-Booth and Lady Georgina Mary and was the younger sister of Constance Gore-Booth who would later become known as Countess Markievicz. Countess Markievicz would be a major influence on young Eva who would introduce her to the social disparity in her own lifestyle and that of the starving tenants who often sought shelter and food from her own father. With different eyes on the world around her, it would later see Eva become heavily involved in the Suffragette movement. 

Eva & Constance Gore Booth

Like other writers of her time, Eva had an interest in mysticism and spirituality which was often explored in her writing. When she was starting out with her writing career she met with W.B. Yeats who was hoping she would take up his Irish literary Cause of writing Irish tales, however she did not take his route and it could be said, perhaps it was for the best considering the great work she set out to do through her own poetry, that came from within her. Instead of writing about Irish tales, myths and legends, Eva placed an emphasis on the female characters within Irish folklore. Eva used her poetry to discuss female sexual liberation as can be seen from figures taken from Irish mythology, like Queen Maeve, where she is written as a wise and erotic woman. Eva’s work often subverts the traditional masculine identity through her poetry and like her fellow male writers, she composed love poems but not from the male voice point of view, but from a woman to a woman. 

Her first two books of poetry were “The Shepherd of Eternity” and “The house of Three Windows”. Two books that reflected her interest in social change and sexual liberation were “One and the Many” along with “The Egyptian Pillar”. Eva went on to write nine books of poetry, seven plays and a collection of spiritual essays. 

Her writing has often been the centre on the debate for Eva’s sexuality. She travelled to Italy in 1896 and while there she met with Esther Roper and they both formed a close bond, becoming partners in work. They both moved to England and lived together in Manchester, however, what their personal relationship was, is only speculation. Eva and Esther formed part of a group that established and were editors of Urania, a sexual politics journal. Its aim was to show the progress of the feminist movement along with attempting to eliminate the glorification of heterosexual marriage and distinctions between sex and gender. 

Esther Roper [Image: Twitter]

Perhaps Eva’s work, commitment and overall attempts at transforming change and view on society is not given enough recognition. She certainly was an amazing person who fought for what she believed and through her writing invoked change and transformation. She campaigned to abolish the death sentence in Ireland and reform the prison system, a lover of languages and supporter of animal rights. Additionally, she has been honoured for her work, for being a voice for the minority by the LGBTQ+ and an award given in her honour at the Dublin Gay Theatre Festival. She has also been recognised for her work by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and as a Worker’s Rights “Role Model”. 

Eva died on the 30th of June, 1926 and to the very end always remained faithful and passionate for her love of poetry. She is buried next to Esther in England. 

“The little waves of Breffny 

Go stumbling through my 

Soul” 

Eva Gore-Booth