Tynan, Katharine (1861–1931)

Irish poet and novelist. Born in Clondalkin, County Dublin, and educated at the Dominican Convent, Drogheda, Tynan established her reputation as a writer through journalism. A leading figure in the Irish literary revival of the late 19th century, her works are influenced by Irish patriotism, devout Catholicism, and Celtic mythology. She was a prolific writer, producing some 18 volumes of verse, over a hundred novels, and around 40 other books. Her Collected Poems appeared in 1930.

Tynan was a friend of the nationalist leader Charles Stewart Parnell and (in London) of the literary families, the Meynells and the Rossettis. Her works include the poetry collections Oh! What a Plague is Love (1896), She Walks in Beauty (1899), and the novel The House in the Forest (1928). She also wrote five volumes of autobiography.