Nora J Murray was an Irish poetess and school teacher at the heart of the Ardclough Sedition Case

Ardclough Sedition Case

Ardclough Sedition Case was a complaint and threat of prosecution leveled against “Nora J Murray” , an Irish poetess and school teacher, during the revolutionary period.-Complaint:...

, when her teaching of Irish history was the subject of a complaint by a Unionist landlord. “The Wind Upon the Heath” was published by William Butler Yeats

William Butler Yeats

William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and playwright, and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. A pillar of both the Irish and British literary establishments, in his later years he served as an Irish Senator for two terms...

’ publisher Maunsel & Co in 1918.

Early life

The daughter of Timothy Murray from Carrick on Shannon, she was a scholarship student at the local Marist Convent and noted musician. After graduation she taught at Ardclough

Ardclough

Ardclough, officially Ardclogh , is a village and community in the parish of Kill County Kildare, Ireland, two miles off the N7 national primary road. Amongst its buildings today are a national school, a church, Ardclough GAA Club, and one shop "Buggys". Ardclough also contains the historic round...

 National School in Co Kildare. She married Alfred Whyte on September 6, 1919.

Poetry

Ms Murray was the first lady teacher in an Irish national school to make her name as a poet. Prior to the publication of “The Wind Upon the Heath” (July 1918) to favourable critical reaction her poetry appeared in the Irish

Irish Independent

The Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...

 and Sunday Independent

Sunday Independent

The Sunday Independent is a broadsheet Sunday newspaper published in Ireland by Independent News and Media plc. The newspaper is edited by Aengus Fanning, and is the biggest selling Irish Sunday newspaper by a large margin ; average circulation of 291,323 between June 2004 and January 2005,...

 during the revolutionary period

Irish War of Independence

The Irish War of Independence , Anglo-Irish War, Black and Tan War, or Tan War was a guerrilla war mounted by the Irish Republican Army against the British government and its forces in Ireland. It began in January 1919, following the Irish Republic's declaration of independence. Both sides agreed...

. She also had short stories published. Some poetry relating to her native County Leitrim

County Leitrim

County Leitrim is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Leitrim. Leitrim County Council is the local authority for the county...

 was published post-humously.

Sedition Case

Ms Murray’s teaching of history

Ardclough Sedition Case

Ardclough Sedition Case was a complaint and threat of prosecution leveled against “Nora J Murray” , an Irish poetess and school teacher, during the revolutionary period.-Complaint:...

 was the subject of a complaint from local Unionist landlord Bertram Hugh Barton (1858–1927) in 1916.

Late in 1917 these allegations reappeared in the form of a complaint about “seditious teaching” filed to the National School commissioners in the name of Mrs Bourke, who said that her child had been discriminated against because he was the son of a British soldier.

A sworn enquiry organised by Commissioners was postponed, pending a prosecution for sedition by the Dublin Castle administration in Ireland

Dublin Castle administration in Ireland

The Dublin Castle administration in Ireland was the government of Ireland under English and later British rule, from the twelfth century until 1922, based at Dublin Castle.-Head:...

. A defence fund was organised by local people and after considerable publicity no sedition proceedings were initiated.