Caitlín Brugha

Kingston was born in Birr, County Offaly to William Kingston a shopkeeper, and Catherine (née Roche). Brugha attended the Sacred Heart convent in Roscrea. Her family later moved to Dublin when she was 31 and Brugha continued the activism she had been part of through the Gaelic League when she got there. Brugha married Irish revolutionary and candle maker Cathal Brugha in 1912. Because of the family activities and involvement in the War of Independence, they moved several times, to the Ring Gaeltacht in Waterford and Ballybunion in Kerry. In the aftermath of the Truce the family was able to return to Dublin.[1]

Due to his involvement on the Anti-Treaty side of the Civil war, Brugha's husband died in 1922, leaving her with six children under the age of 10 during the Irish Civil War. Brugha ran for what had been his seat and was elected to Dáil Éireann as a Sinn Féin TD at the 1923 general election for the Waterford constituency.[2]

She was re-elected at the June 1927 general election. In accordance with Sinn Féin policy of the time she did not take her seat in Dáil Éireann. She stayed with the abstentionists of Sinn Féin when Éamon de Valera left to found Fianna Fáil. Sinn Féin was unable to raise the funds to contest the second election called that year,[3] and Brugha did not contest the September 1927 general election.[4] Brugha successfully campaigned on the welfare of Republican prisoners.[1]

She had established a drapery business, Kingston's Ltd, in 1924 and following her exit from politics devoted much time to the venture. Her continuing anti-Britishness was evidenced when in 1941, when she was accused of harbouring a German spy who had parachuted into Wexford.[5]

Her son, Ruairí Brugha later became a Fianna Fáil politician and was elected to Dáil Éireann at the 1973 general election.

• Families in the Oireachtas