Sarah Atkinson (23 October 1823 – 8 July 1893) was an Irish writer

Writer

A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....

, biographer, essayist and philanthropist.

Biography

She was the eldest daughter of John and Anne Gaynor, of Athlone, County Roscommon

County Roscommon

County Roscommon 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 town of Roscommon. Roscommon County Council is the local authority for the county...

. At the age of fifteen she moved with her family to Dublin. At twenty-five, she married the much older George Atkinson, a medical doctor and joint proprietor of the Freeman's Journal

Freeman's Journal

The Freeman's Journal was the oldest nationalist newspaper in Ireland. It was founded in 1763 by Charles Lucas and was identified with radical 18th century Protestant patriot politicians Henry Grattan and Henry Flood...

. They were both interested in art and Sarah accompanied her husband on many trips abroad, taking in the cultural centres of Europe. At home they made the acquaintance of prominent politicians, journalists and musicians. Regular guests at their house were Dr. John Shaw, editor of the Evening Mail, Rosa Mulholland

Rosa Mulholland

Rosa Mulholland was an Irish novelist, poet and playwright.-Life:She was born in Belfast, the daughter of Dr. Joseph Stevenson Mulholland of Newry. She spent some years in a remote mountainous part of the West of Ireland after the death of her father. Her first novel was Dumana , under the...

 and Katherine Tynan.

The loss of her only child in his fourth year deeply affected Mrs. Atkinson and she threw herself into charitable and other good works. She moved with her husband to Drumcondra

Drumcondra

Drumcondra is the name of several places:* Drumcondra, Dublin, Ireland, a residential area on the Northside of Dublin.** Drumcondra railway station** Drumcondra F.C., former football club...

 in Dublin, where she made the acqaintance of Mrs. Ellen Woodlock, a widow who had spent many years abroad. With her she interested herself in the female paupers of the South Dublin Union

House of Industry (Dublin)

A House of Industry was established in Dublin by an act of parliament in 1703 for the removal from the streets of objectionable objects such as the destitute and vagabonds. It was located at the present site of St. James's Hospital, James's Street, and included of land...

, and opened a better home to which many were transferred. She campaigned for years to improve the state of the workhouses and provide better conditions for the poverty-stricken. She visited hospitals and prisons, in the 1880s accompanying Katherine Tynan to visit the last of the Land Leaguers incarcerated in Kilmainham Gaol

Kilmainham Gaol

Kilmainham Gaol is a former prison, located in Kilmainham in Dublin, which is now a museum. It has been run since the mid-1980s by the Office of Public Works , an Irish Government agency...

.

From the 1850s Atkinson contributed a large number of historical and biographical articles and essays to several publications, including the Hibernian Magazin

James Duffy (Irish publisher)

James Duffy was a prominent 19th century Irish author and publisher.-Career:Duffy was educated at a hedge school and began his business as a bookseller through purchasing Protestant bibles given to Catholics. He then traveled to Liverpool where he traded them for more valuable books...

, The Month, The Nation

The Nation (Irish newspaper)

The Nation was an Irish nationalist weekly newspaper, published in the 19th century. The Nation was printed first at 12 Trinity Street, Dublin, on 15 October 1842, until 6 January 1844...

and the Freeman's Journal. She later wrote for the Irish Monthly

Irish Monthly

The Irish Monthly was an Irish Catholic magazine founded in Dublin, Ireland in July 1873. Until 1920 it had the sub-title A Magazine of General Literature. It was founded by Rev. Matthew Russell, S.J., , who was the editor for almost forty years from 1873...

after it was established, and for the Irish Quarterly Review. Her Life of Mary Aikenhead was published in 1875 and was very well received. She followed this with biographies of the Irish sculptors John Henry Foley

John Henry Foley

John Henry Foley , often referred to as JH Foley, was an Irish sculptor, best known for his statues of Daniel O'Connell in Dublin, and of Prince Albert in London. Both are still considered iconic in each city.-Life:...

 and John Hogan

John Hogan (sculptor)

John Hogan was one of Ireland's greatest sculptors.Hogan was born on October 14, 1800 in Tallow, Co. Waterford, spent his youth in the city of Cork, Ireland and, in 1812, was placed as clerk to an attorney. Disliking this occupation, he chose to be apprenticed to the architect Sir Thomas Deane,...

and also a life of Catherine of Siena. A collection of her essays wase published posthumously in 1895.