Kathleen O'Meara

Kathleen O'Meara, also known under her pen name Grace Ramsay (1839 – 10 November 1888), was an Irish-French Catholic writer and biographer during the late Victorian era. She was the Paris correspondent of The Tablet, a leading British Catholic magazine. Irish Monthly also published many of her serialized and biographical works. O'Meara also wrote works of fiction where she explored a variety of topics from women's suffrage to eastern European revolutions. The majority of her novels contained Catholic themes and social reform issues.

Life O'Meara was born in Dublin in 1839. Her father was Dennis O'Meara of Tipperary, while her grandfather, Barry Edward O'Meara, had been Napoleon's physician on St. Helena from the years 1815–1818. He later denounced Britain's treatment of the ex-emperor in his exile.

Literary career While O'Meara did not have great success at the beginning of her career but succeeded in winning fame later in life, her own experiences led her to encourage young and aspiring authors.

Robin Redbreast's Victory was serialized in Irish Monthly in 1877. This work shows how improved understanding between denominations may help to solve landlord and tenant problems in Ireland. Iza's Story was her second novel, published by a London firm called Hurst and Blackett. In this novel, she addresses the struggle of Polish Patriots against the Russian occupation. She compares it to the Irish-British situation—both Poland and Ireland are Catholic countries oppressed by non-Catholic nations. This theme of rebellion where a small nation takes on its greater neighbour reappears in some of her other works.

Published posthumously in 1891, The Venerable John Baptiste Vianney, Curé d'Ars was favourably reviewed by The Dublin Review, which commented: "The special claim to notice which Miss O'Meara's life of the Curé of Ars has, is the charming ease and simplicity of her narrative. This Life of the saintly and remarkable priest deserves to be very popular."

Other activities She published a journal article in 1872 entitled "A Visit to the Communists", which was published by Harper's Bazaar. She was the Paris correspondent of The Tablet, a leading British Catholic magazine. In the 1880s, she travelled across Europe and The United States, continuing to write novels and biographies as she travelled.

Works include Novels: A Woman's Trials (London, Hurst and Blackett 1867) Iza's Story (Hurst and Blackett, 1869) The Bells of the Sanctuary, Agnes (Burns, Oates and Company, 1871) Robin Redbreast's Victory (serialized in Irish Monthly, 1877) The Battle of Connemara (1878) Folette (serialized in The Catholic World, A Magazine of General Literature and Science, 1879) Diana Coryval (1883) Queen by Right Divine and other Tales (Burns and Oates, 1885) The Old House in Picardy (London, Richards Bentley and Son, (1887) Narka, a Story of Russian Life, (1888) The Blind Apostle (Burns and Oates, 1890)

Biographies: Frederic Ozanam, professor at the Sorbonne: his life and works (1876) Madame Mohl: Her Society and Friends (Wentworth Press, 1885) The Venerable John Baptiste Vianney, Curé d'Ars (her last publication, published posthumously, 1891)