Christine Longford

Background

Following her parents" separation her mother took in lodgers while Christine attended Oxford Wells High School.

Career

While there she met and in 1925 married Edward Pakenham, later 6th Earl of Longford. They divided their time between Dublin and Pakenham Hall, now Tullynally Castle, in Castlepollard, County Westmeath. In addition to designing costumes and managing productions Christine wrote plays including Lord Edward and She also adapted novels for the stage, Jane Austen"s Pride and Prejudice among them.

The company suffered when the Longfords withdrew their backing.

Her books include A Biography of Dublin, published as part of the Biographies of Cities series, Country Places, published by Parkside Press Dublin and Making Conversation, republished by Persephone Books in 2009.

Achievements

• She won a scholarship to study Classics at Somerville College, Oxford.