A FILM highlighting the tale of Mary Jane O’Donovan Rossa, the Irish revolutionary and wife of Jeremiah O’Donovan Rossa, will be screened at this year’s Fastnet Film Festival in Schull.
The festival runs from Wednesday May 22nd to Sunday May 26th, and features Rebel Wife, directed by Williams Rossa Cole, the great-grandson of Mary Jane and Jeremiah O’Donovan Rossa. Williams Cole will be present at the screening and be present for a Q&A afterwards.
Rebel Wife is a documentary which delves into the often overlooked contributions of Mary Jane to Ireland’s fight for freedom alongside her more famous husband.
Born Mary Jane Irwin in Clonakilty, the film narrates Mary Jane’s life from her controversial marriage at 19, to her emergence as a public speaker and Republican fundraiser in the US, where she campaigned for Irish independence and highlighted the plight of imprisoned Irish nationalists, including her husband.
The sacrifices of Mary Jane, a mother of 13, went largely unrecognised after her husband’s death. Her decision to hold Jeremiah’s funeral in Dublin, contrary to his wishes, fuelled the momentum towards the Easter Rising of 1916. Mary died shortly after the Easter Rising and was buried in Staten Island, New York, away from her homeland and husband.
Rebel Wife received its world premiere at the IndieCork Film Festival in Cork in December. The film receives its New York premiere at the Village East Cinema on March 8th.
The film screening in May aims to shine a light on the underrepresented female perspective in historical struggles for freedom.
This year will mark the 14th Fastnet Film Festival, an event which brings fantastic cinematic events to the town.
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