EVA OF THE NATION Eva Kelly was a native of Headford in County Galway in 1825. From an early age she contributed poems, ballads and articles to The Nation newspaper using the signature ‘Eva’: in those days it was considered improper for young ladies to have opinions, let alone express them. Thus she became known as ‘Eva of The Nation’ and her actual name was not generally known. She became engaged to a leading nationalist, Kevin Izod O’Doherty. When O’Doherty was sentenced to transportation to Tasmania, Dublin Castle offered him a pardon if he would plead guilty to ‘treason-felony’: thereby implicitly acknowledging England’s right to rule Ireland. He asked Eva’s advice and she told him to reject the offer, and O’Doherty was to spend ten years in exile. They were married on his return. In 1886 O’Doherty joined Parnell’s party and was elected MP for Meath. But he soon recognised that the entire Home Rule effort was a waste of time: the game could not be won if played by England’s rules for the same reason that nobody breaks the bank at Monte Carlo. If you find a way to win, they just change the rules. He resigned his seat and he and Eva went to live in Australia. Eva Kelly is believed to have died in Australia about the year 1910.