Sarah Curran

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sarah Curran (1782 - May 5, 1808) was the youngest daughter of John Philpot Curran, an eminent Irish lawyer. She lived in the priory in Rathfarnham. She was Robert Emmet's great love.

She met Robert through her brother Richard. Richard Curran was a fellow student with Robert Emmet at Trinity College. Sarah's father considered Robert unsuitable, and their courtship was conducted through letters and clandestine meetings. Notable is Robert's letter to Sarah. Robert and Sarah were secretly engaged in 1803.

When her father discovered that Sarah was engaged, he treated her so harshly that she had to take refuge with friends in Cork, where she met and married Captain Robert Sturgeon in November 1805. The two had a child who died in infancy. Sarah died of consumption (tuberculosis) and was laid to rest in the birthplace of her father at Newmarket, County Cork.

Rathfarnham has a pub named after Sarah Curran and the road leading past St. Enda's Park is called Sarah Curran Avenue.