WHM: The Parnell Sisters & The Ladies Land Leagues
March 17, 2011
by Anna Belle Pfau
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Today is St. Patrick’s Day, one of my favorite non-official holidays. Like many Americans, I’m pretty much a mix of various European ethnicities, with a pinch of Native American here and there. Probably the strongest strand in this genetic construction that is me is the Irish thread. My maiden name is Patterson, so of course it’s been a lifelong identification. I love to read Irish literature, listen to Irish music, and the brogue hits my ear like a melody every time. Their history is pretty fascinating as well, and this being women’s history month, you know I have some fine characters to introduce to you. Today I’m bringing you the story of a couple of real Irish firebrands—the sisters Anna & Fanny Parnell.
Anna Parnell and her sister Fanny are responsible for the Ladies Land Leagues of America and Ireland. In the wake of the Great Potato Famine of 1845-1851, life became particularly difficult for regular Irish citizens. This famine caused the deaths of over a million Irish people, and the emigration of a million more. The effects lasted for decades afterward. When the famine struck, however, the Irish were already at a disadvantage because of centuries of what amounted to British theft of their lands and means. Very few Irish citizens actually owned land at the time. They paid very high rents to absentee and negligent landlords, and many lived in squalor as a result. If you’ve read Angela’s Ashes, you might begin to have some understanding of the magnitude of suffering.
Ladies Land Leagues were preceded by and modeled on the Irish National Land League. The Irish National Land League was created in 1879 by Charles Stewart Parnell, Fanny and Anna’s brother, and was a political movement to assist tenant farmers in getting the title to the land they had worked, and often lived on, for generations. When it became clear that the men would be arrested in 1881 for their political activity, Fanny Parnell suggested the League employ women in the fight. Anna stayed in Ireland to assist in providing shelter, food, and other economic relief to tenant farmers and their families. Fanny went to America to raise the funds for Anna’s work.
In America, Fanny raised over $60,000 from Irish Americans to help with rent relief and to provide food, shelter, and other necessities to the growing group of evicted Irish farmers and their families. Anna, meanwhile, managed to turn a chaotic and disorganized revolution into an operational political group that served its constituents’ needs. Within one year, the Ladies Land League had 500 national chapters, a small army of female volunteers, and considerable publicity. Sadly, that same year Fanny Parnell died at the age of 39.
Anna attempted to carry on, but was betrayed by her own brother, who was among the growing chorus of Irish males who suddenly had a change of heart about women participating politically, let alone holding power. They began to use the term “petticoat rebellion” in the rhetorical wars that ensued. Charles Stewart Parnell eventually signed the Kilmainham Treaty and won his freedom from jail, after which he used his political power to stymie the revolutionary citizens he had just spent the last three years empowering.
Anna and Charles parted on bad terms, and Anna was forced to move to England, where she lived the rest of her days under an assumed name. She wrote about her experience in a book called The Tale of a Great Sham, which remained unpublished until 1986, 75 years after her death.
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Wow – what an incredible story. Imagine raising $60,000 in those days – that must be in the order of millions today, no?
And sad that it’s the same pattern. Women rise in power, get stifled and subjugated. Sounds like the U.S. too now doesn’t it! And the Middle East uprisings!
Great article, AB. I was just thinking this morning that I knew very, very little Irish women’s history. Thank you for sharing this amazing story. Amy is right, this was a huge amount of money for that time. Sad that Anna lived out her days in England, not even her homeland.
Glad you liked it Denise!
It really does, Amy. I almost asked the question of who are our Fanny and Anna in the mortgage crisis today, but while it is tough out there, that would have been a bit of hyperbole. We’re just not in the same league (no pun intended) in terms of suffering, yet.
But I would agree that it is perhaps analogous to the Middle East right now, at least in terms push back against female empowerment.
I am also really amazed that she raised so much money (and in such a short time). I do believe it would translate to close to a million, if not more, adjusted for inflation. She did it in something like 6-9 months, constantly feeding the funds to Anna. And what Anna did in just a year with the leagues…WOW! Just goes to show how much women can contribute when they are allowed to.
Wonderful story and thanks for bringing it to us!
Imagine what women could do if they were empowered. Clearly, the world would be a much better place for all. I just cannot understand why men resist women’s empowerment so intensely. After all, they would benefit from women’s contributions as much as women would.
Is it because they fear we would use our power to oppress them, as they have women for thousands of years?
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