The untold story of the widows of the 1916 rebellion revealed in new book

The sad plight of the widows of seven Easter Rising rebels is detailed in a heart-rending new book, says Richard Fitzpatrick

OF the many books that will be published to commemorate the Easter Rising’s centenary in 2016, few will be as riveting as Sinéad McCoole’s Easter Widows, which is published today. It gives the perspective of the widows of the rebels executed by the British government. There were seven widows, and their stories cast a fascinating light on their husbands.

McCoole, who has published notable books on Lady Lavery, has toiled on Easter Widows for 20 years. She painstakingly built relationships with the widows’ relatives, and mined secondary sources.