Ireland in 1922 was recovering from a long period of civil war. It was the year that Michael Collins was killed. Many changes were happening in Ireland that year including the adoption in the independent state’s new constitution granting women the right to vote.
A beautiful photo taken in that year featuring Elizabeth Higgins and her daughter Lily was found recently. Elizabeth was 24 years old when this photo was taken shortly after the Irish War of Independence. She lived through both the first and second world wars and witnessed many changes. It was a time when Irish people faced many challenges and although Ireland remained neutral during the world wars, a state of Emergency existed which greatly impacted the daily lives of ordinary people.
Elizabeth raised her eight children over the shop which she ran together with her husband Jeremiah. They later handed this shop down to their daughters Delia and Eileen
Photos like these give us a rare glimpse into the past which shaped our lives.
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