Katharine O’Keeffe O’Mahoney (1852-1918): Irish Women of Massachusetts

Katharine O’Keeffe O’Mahoney (1852-1918) moved with her family from County Kilkenny in Ireland to Massachusetts when she was 10 years old, living in Methuen and then settling in Lawrence.

Educated at St.Mary's School, she became a teacher at Lawrence High School from 1873-92, where one of her students was the poet Robert Frost and his future wife Elinor White. Later Katharine made her living lecturing and writing books.

The American Catholic Directory wrote that "Mrs O Mahoney was one of the first Catholic women in New England if not in the country to speak in public from the platform, on topics including A Trip to Ireland, Religion and Patriotism in English and Irish History, An Evening with Milton and An Evening with Dante."

She published several books that were popular in her life, including Catholicity in Lawrence (1882), Thomas Moore's Birthday, A Musical Allegory (1893) and Famous Irish Women (1907), a fascinating history of Irish women from Pagan Ireland to Ireland’s Literary Revival. She contributed to a number of Catholic publications including The Boston Pilot, Sacred Heart Review and Donohoe's Magazine.

O'Mahoney was president of the Ancient Order of Hibernians and St. Clare League of Catholic Women, a group that helped orphans. She was also prominent in the Women's Land League headed by her countrywoman Fanny Parnell.

She died in 1918 and is buried at Immaculate Conception Cemetery in Lawrence/Methuen.

Research + Text, Michael Quinlin

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