Background
She was born in Dublin, her father"s family were from County Meath.
She was born in Dublin, her father"s family were from County Meath.
She was the mother of Patrick Pearse, one of the leaders of the Easter Rising in 1916, who was executed soon after the rising. Another son Willie Pearse was also executed after the 1916 Easter Rising. She joined Sinn Féin after the Rising and gave support and endorsement to candidates during the 1918 Westminster election.
She was elected to Dáil Éireann as a Sinn Féin Teachta Dála (Territorial Decoration) for the Dublin County constituency at the 1921 elections.
She strongly opposed the Anglo-Irish Treaty, as did all the female TDs. She stated during the Treaty debate that:
"I rise to support the motion of our President for the rejection of the Treaty.
My reasons for doing so are various, but my first reason for doing so I would like to explain here today is my son"s accountant lieutenant has been said here on several occasions that Patrick Pearse would have accepted this Treaty.
I deny lieutenant As his mother I deny it, and on his account I will not accept lieutenant""
Later she continued in a similar vein:
"Always we had to be on the alert.
Following the ratification of the Treaty she left the Dáil with the other anti-Treaty deputies. She was defeated at the 1922 general election. She never stood for election again.
At the launch of The Irish Press newspaper she was asked to press the button to start the printers rolling.
Accordingly, Patrick Pearse is recognised as the spiritual figurehead of the party to this day. Margaret Pearse died in 1932.
Her daughter Margaret Mary Pearse also joined Fianna Fáil, and served as a Territorial Decoration in the 1930s and later as a Senator.
She supported those who opposed the Treaty during the Irish Civil War and continued to be a member of Sinn Féin until 1926.