Claire Madden

Claire Madden (14 October 1905 – 15 October 1998) was an Irish librarian, feminist and political activist.

Early life Claire Madden was born Kathleen May Delacheroise Madden at Boley House, Coolattin, County Wicklow on 14 October 1905. She was the eldest daughter and second child of teachers Thomas and May Madden (née Glynn). She had an older brother, Tom, and younger sister, Mabel Anne Constance. This was her father's second marriage, and Madden had 7 older half siblings who appear to have cut off contact with their father. She was raised Protestant, but converted to Catholicism later in life, along with her interest in the Irish language and studying Irish history. The family lived in Galway, before moving to Stockport, Cheshire, where her parents ran a small private school. Madden and her two siblings were educated by their parents, with emphasis on the classics and music.