Evening star., 1934-10-07
Mrs. Robert Brennan
Feels at Home With
Friends In America
Wife of Secretary Of Irish
Free State lie tion
Greeted Here.

sArriving in America is like coming
home" said Mrs. Robert Brennan,
the wife of the secretary OF the Irish
Free State Legation, at her first inter-
view. When she started on her jour-
ney. she hated to leave her familiar
native land for a strange country.
But Mrs. Brennan no longer feels 1t
strange, for wherever she goes she finds
compatriotS who either came from
Ireland themselves or whose parents
emigrated to this country. In grocery
stores, department stores and photo
graphic studios, there is always some
one who wants to talk to her about
the old country. Then too, she con-
tinues 20 explain, America has always
been to the Irishman a greatly ad-
mired nation. This is because of the
great flow Of IrShmen to America be-
fore the foundation of the Irish Free
State, which left no family in Ireland
without some relative who had gone
to seek his fortune in the new country.
And because 1000 Irish Americans
have returned to their original home
since the Irish have attained home
rule, all full OF enthusiasm for this
country. And also, Mrs. Brennan adds, |
because America did more than any
other outside influence to help the
Irish in their fight for freedom.
Her appearance, her entire manner,
reflects a calmness and serenity which
can only be attained when great cour-
age has overcome bitter trials And
yet this interesting new addition TO
the diplomatic corps. her husband
confded, was just little nervous at
first at the thought of being inter-
viewed. To this charming Irish lady,
who arrived in this country mere two
weeks ago. American methods of pub
1icity seem Bit strange.
A small, slight woman, Mrs. Bren-
nan is one of those fortunate ones who
could set of to advantage the warm
brown wool skirt and sweater in which
she was attired. She wears her fine
light brown hair drawn back from her
face. And her complexion, a smooth
clear skin tinged with an unpurchasa-
bic color, will be the envy Of every less
fortunate American woman.
To hear the wife of the secretary
speak is a rare privilege. for her Eng
lish is touched with just enough of
the Irish brogUe to charm her listen
ers. That first slight nervousness soon
wore off and she spoke warmly and
colorfully on various subjects
Mrs. Brennan was born in the rural !
districts of Wexford and was edu-
Gated at the Loreto Convent. There !
she took such subjects as French,
English, mathematics, Latin and sci |
ences. The only course, laughing |
claims Mrs. Brennan, that the con-
- IL.
age in the domestic science line was |
sewing. After leaving the convent she |
wanted to take up nursing. But this |
her family would not permit. So in
stead she took a secretarial course. !
Before she could utilize this, however,
she was married-at the age of 90 |
The Secretary is very proud of the
fact that before her marriage his wife
won first prize for making the best !
butter at an agricultural show.
The new member of the diplomatic !
family does not smoke, but she has
no objection to the custom for others. |
Flowers mean great deal to her and !
she spends much of her time culti- |
waiting them. One of Mrs. Brennan's !
chief regrets on coming to this coun-
try was the unavoidable necessity Of |
leaving a freak fern which, under her |
care, had grown to the great height |
OF 9 feet.
A true mother, Mrs. Brennan's |
greatest interest lies in her interest |
ing family. There are four children |
now living. Emer is a gracious girl of
"a, who has completed her education. |
Naive, little over IT, has entered her
second year of college at immaculate
Seminary. Naive, her mother claims, |
IS a subject unto herself. Although |
1t is not usual for an Irish girl to |
prepare herself for a career. Naive, |
since she was small girl, has deter |
mined to be a librarian. At the age
OF II she had completed every book in |
her home library. Her mother then
enrolled her in the public library, where |
the second daughter of Mr.. and Mrs |
Brennan proceeded to spend all of her |
spare time reading studying, making !
friends with and helping the libra |
flans. Then there is Deirdre, Is years |
of age. who attends high school at the |
immaculate Seminary, and Robert |
Patrick, typical little Irishman."
who celebrated his 9Th birthday ami |
versary not so many months ago.
The young BrennanS have all |
always reveled in our newspapers, |
following our comic strips eagerly |
The famous Jimmie Dugan" runs
also in their own papers, so The
Evening Star has become quite |
favorite among their family in this !
country. Nine-tenths of the cinemas |
In Ireland are American, and many !
in the familiar panpSter trend These |
along with the comic strips. which |
unfortunately deal with the same |
subjects, give Irish children in a
measure the impression that America
is glorified gangster land When
little Robert heard police car going
past the apartment on one of their
first nights here, he ran to the win
dow with the hope of seeing one of
the famed gangsters in the flesh"
He is still hoping.
Mrs Brennan painted three vivid
pictures of Ireland. One, the country
We always think of as Ireland, where |
at night on the farms friends gather |
around the fireplace and repeat the
supernatural and romantic folk lore
and tales of the country which have
been passed down to them by word
OF mouth for generations; or eX-
change play of intellect for the
pure love and pleasure OF talking. |
And where small orchestras consist |
ing of two flddles and a flute come
around to the houses to play for the
folk to dance And when the young |
people start to go home, the old |
people are made to come out and |