Clodagh Finn: The Irishwoman who married the national hero of the Philippines

There are two things that we can say without any doubt about Josephine Bracken. She was both legitimate and 'fully Irish'

Josephine Bracken, the Irish common-law wife of Filipino national hero Jose Rizal.

Sat, 14 Feb, 2026 - 01:00

Clodagh Finn

Clodagh Finn is a journalist, writer and collector of stories. Her recent book, The Irish in the Resistance, co-authored with John Morgan, shines a light on the forgotten contributions of the Irish who resisted Hitler during WW2.

A few hours before he was executed, Filipino national hero José Rizal said a final goodbye to Irishwoman Josephine Bracken and gave her a parting gift; a copy of Thomas à Kempis’ Imitation of Christ with the inscription, “To my dear unhappy wife, Josephine.”

Some accounts, including one attributed to her, suggest the couple married at 5am in a prison cell in Manila just hours before Rizal was executed by the colonial authorities on December 30, 1896.