Early Life and Background

Dora Mary Sigerson was born in Dublin on August 16th, 1866, the daughter of George Sigerson, a surgeon and writer, and Hester (née Varian), also a writer. Her father was a leader in Dublin’s intellectual world and immersed the young Dora in the vibrant literary society of Dublin throughout her childhood, helping her gain a deep and complete love of her country.

Literary and Political Involvement

Like her father, Dora was active in the Irish literary revival, and a passionate campaigner for home rule. Her poetry collections date from 1893 and are particularly evocative when she writes of her homeland, War and, most of all, the Easter Rising of 1916. Her friends included Katharine Tynan, the noted Irish poet and author, as well as fellow writers and poets Rose Kavanagh and Alice Furlong.

Marriage and Life in England

When she married Clement King Shorter, an English journalist and literary critic, in 1895, they moved to England and she wrote under the name Dora Sigerson Shorter. Although in England her heart’s passion remained with Ireland. The tragic events of Easter 1916 were a terrible blow to her, and her health quickly began to fail.

Death and Legacy

Dora Mary Sigerson Shorter died on January 6th, 1918. The cause of her death was not disclosed. As well as a foremost poet, Dora’s talents extended to sculpture, journalism, and novels. Her best-known sculpture is the memorial in Glasnevin Cemetery to the executed leaders of the Easter Rebellion. In her lifetime, she was renowned for her personal beauty and her charm. That charm is reflected in her works, which are full of eagerness, love, sympathy, and, of course, suffering.