Maud’s Life, Family, & Exploits
Discover why Maud Gonne is one of history’s
most interesting & complex women.
Maud’s Early Years
Kathleen was Maud’s little sister by two years. The two were close and corresponded throughout their lives in different countries. They were fond of each other’s children.
From Tongham to Paris
Maud in Paris as a teen had been groomed to appreciate the finer arts of making oneself look beautiful by her great aunt, the Countess of Sizeranne.
Dreams of Theater
In Royat, she met Lucien Millevoye, the right wing French politcian and her romantic partner for over a decade. She dreamed of theater, but chose being an actual heroine over being one on stage.
Maud’s Animals
Throughout her long life, Maud treasured her relationships with the animals in her life: dogs, horses and birds.
Maud Gonne MacBride describes witnessing evictions in her youth and her involvement in the Land War.
This interview with Maud Gonne was recorded on 28 December 1945.
The fascination of what’s difficult
Has dried the sap out of my veins, and rent
Spontaneous joy and natural content
Out of my heart.
— William Butler Yeats,
“The Fascination of What’s Difficult,” 1910
Kim Bendheim 