THE deputy leader of Fianna Fail, Ms Mary O'Rourke, unveiled a memorial to the poet and patriot Lady Wilde, "Speranza" of The Nation newspaper and mother of Oscar Wilde, at the weekend. The ceremony was held at Mount Jerome cemetery, Dublin.
The occasion was the 100th anniversary of the death of the fiery nationalist whose verses are filled with exhortations such as "To Arms! To Arms! for Truth, Fame Freedom, Vengeance, Victory!
Lady Wilde was buried in an unmarked grave in London and the memorial is in the form of a panel on the family monument in Mount Jerome where her husband, the antiquarian and surgeon Sir William Wilde, is buried.
The ceremony was introduced by Lady Wilde's great grandson, Mr Merlin Holland, who was accompanied by his wife, Sarah, and son, Lucian. The writer Ulick O'Connor recited Oscar Wilde's sonnet Helas The memorial was a joint initiative by Mr Holland and the American College Dublin, which now occupies the residence of Sir William Wilde at No 1, Merrion Square.
The attendance included Miss Maire Gavan Duffy, whose grandfather, Sir Charles Gavan Duffy was one of the founders of The Nation. He was prosecuted over an article by "Speranza" but she stood up in the public gallery of the court and asserted her authorship.
About 100 people took part in the commemoration, including the former government ministers Mr John Wilson and Dr Martin O'Donoghue the US ambassador, Mrs Jean Kennedy Smith the British ambassador, Mrs Veronica Sutherland the Canadian ambassador, Mr Barry Mawhinney and the president of the American College Dublin, Dr Donald Ross.
Others taking part included the biographer of Lady Wilde, Miss Joy Melville Senators Mary Henry, Pat Magner and David, Norris the Fine Gael MEP, Ms Mary Banotti the Dublin city manager, Mr Frank Feely the chairman of the Arts Council, Dr, Ciaran Benson the artistic director of the Abbey Theatre, Mr Patrick Mason the head of the English Department at TCD, Prof Nicholas Grene the author Marie Heaney, wife of the Nobel Prize winner Seamus Heaney, and actors Des Cave and Alan Stanford.
Ms O'Rourke described it as "a very wonderful occasion, particularly for the city of Dublin". Lady Wilde had been a remarkable person whose writings uplifted the people in the 1840s, `50s and `60s.
When Lady Wilde died, the Freeman's Journal described her as "a woman of the most versatile attainments, genuine intellectual power and commanding character". W.B. Yeats said London had few better talkers, Ms O'Rourke added.
At the same time in London, the Oscar Wilde Society held a private ceremony in Kensington Green cemetery, where new information supplied by the cemetery company enabled members to view the place where Lady Wilde is buried.
The actual grave has only recently been found. The actress and director, Gerardine McDermottroe, recited works by Lady Wilde.