Sophie O'Brien

Sophie Raffalovich O'Brien (1860–1960), was a writer and Irish nationalist.

Early life and education

Born Sophie Raffalovich on 15 January 1860 in Odessa to Herman and Marie Raffalovich. Her father was a banker, with two sons, Marc-André and Arthur. The family was Jewish and moved in 1864 to France due to pressure to convert religion. Her father would have to travel back to Odessa for business and spent half of each year there. Marie was a political republican interested in the arts and sciences and held popular salons in France. She was close friends with physiologist Claude Bernard. Raffalovich grew up aware of her advantages and studied political economy. She translated works on the lives of Cobden and Lord Shaftesbury. Her brother André's held literary salons in London where she would act as hostess.

Irish question Stories and details about William O'Brien's highly publicised arrests during the Plan of Campaign led both the mother and daughter to become interested in Ireland and the political situation there. Raffalovich began to write to O'Brien and eventually met him in 1889. After a brief courtship they were engaged. Raffalovich converted to Catholicism. This was a disappointment to her father but her own writings show that she did not do this purely for the marriage. Her brothers both followed her to this end. While she gave up her childhood religion, Raffalovich did not give up her Jewish identity.

She married O'Brien on 11 June 1890 and the wedding was attended by Charles Stewart Parnell, a major gathering of the Irish party before they split later in the year. Raffalovich moved to Ireland with her husband after the wedding and was accepted quickly into the social groups. She was particularly close with Anne Deane and Henrietta Mitchel Martin. Her husband relied heavily on Raffalovich as a funding source, secretary and nurse during the periods of his career where his health was poor. She was the financial accountant and they lived as simply as possible so they could give as much to the poor as possible.

In 1895 O'Brien refused to pay off debts incurred during the 'Plan of Campaign', choosing instead to go bankrupt. The couple retired to a cottage in Westport, County Mayo where they worked together on farming, dog breeding and writing. They supported local fisheries financially where possible. Raffalovich wrote a couple of novels which describe the time.

While based in Westport Raffalovich, with local nuns, founded various craft industries and ensured the availability of markets in Paris for the lace locally produced. She worked with Sister Mary Eustace Eaton of the Harold's Cross Hospice for the Dying and wrote a biography of her life in 1923. Having had no children and with her husband unwilling to adopt, Raffalovich chose to support girls who still lived with their families but lacked other advantages.