Enid Starkie photographed by Norman Parkinson for Vogue Magazine, 1951.
Starkie Family of Somerset House, Blackrock
William Joseph Myles Starkie married 25.07.1893 May Caroline Walsh
born 10.12.1860 Roman Catholic Cathedral born circa 1871
Rosses Point, Co Sligo Marlborough Street Dublin City
died 21.07.1920 (59) died 20.02.1961 (89)
at Cushendun, Antrim Dublin
William Joseph Myles Starkie of Harrow House, Killiney son of William Robert Starkie and
Francis Powers was born circa 1861 in Sligo. He was educated at Clongowes and
Shrewsbury School, Shropshire and later at Trinity College, Oxford. He left college to
travel around Italy and Greece, on his return to Ireland he married Mary Caroline Walsh,
daughter of Cornelius Walsh at the Pro Cathedral in 1893. William was a Greek scholar
and translator of Aristophanes and was appointed Resident Commissioner of National
Education for Ireland. He introduced Irish History into the National School's primary
curriculum. They lived at Somerset in Blackrock from 1906 to 1910 and by 1911 were
living at Shrewsbury Road. They employed Parisian mademoiselle Leonie Cora to teach
their children French and music. In 1914 William became a member of the Privy Council
of Ireland. During WW1 May worked at the Sphagnum Moss Association and was noted
as being an ‘invaluable regular worker for nearly 3 years”. May was a teacher at the
Royal Irish Academy of Music and later its vice president. She was a member of the RDS
music committee and a member of Feis Ceoil. William died 21.07.1920 ay Cushendun,
Antrim and his funeral was held at the Pro Cathedral. May died 20.02.1961 at Dartmouth
Square late of Lansdowne Road. Both are buried at Glasnevin.
1 Walter Fitzwilliam Starkie born 09.08.1894 at Harrow House, Killiney. Walter was
educated at Shrewsbury School and Trinity College. His violin teacher was Achille
Simonetti and he won first prize for violin at the Royal Irish Academy of Music in
1913. He became a fellow of Trinity College in 1926 and the first Professor of
Spanish the same year. He was a Hispanic scholar and travel writer excelling at
the violin. Walter married the Opera Singer Augusta Italia Porchietti daughter of
Alberto Porchietti of Genoa in 1921. Augusta worked as a nurse with the Italian
Red Cross during WW1. Walter collected Gypsy folklore, he published a book on
Luigi Pirandello and was a director of the Abbey Theatre from 1927 to 1942.
Walter died on 2 Nov 1976 in Madrid and Augusta died in 1977. Both are buried in
the British cemetery, Madrid.
2 Enid May Starkie eldest daughter born 18.08.1897 at Harrow House. Enid an Irish
Literary critic was educated at Alexandra College and won a three year scholarship
to Somerville College, Oxford and later went to the Sorbonne in Paris where she
completed her doctorate. She was described at witty, entertaining dainty and
girlish and also described as odd or eccentric mainly because she wore loud
colours and an equally loud beret. Her flats were similarly decorated, one was
mainly gold and red with a totem pole in the drawing room. She was knocked
down by a bus in 1932 and spent three weeks recuperating in a nursing home and
in 1936 she contracted a fever when she was holidaying in Italy. In 1951 she was
photographed for Vogue. She was honoured as an officer of the Legion d'honneur
in 1958, and as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1967. Dr Enid
Starkie died in 1970 at Oxford and is best remembered for her authoritative studies
on major French literary figures including Arthur Rimbaud (1947) and Charles
Baudelaire (1957).
3 Frances Muriel Starkie born 20.02.1899 at Queens College, Galway. She attended
the Royal Academy of Music and was awarded the Coulson Exhibition award in
1911. Muriel worked at the Sphagnum Moss Association for a year during WW1. She
married Reginald Thomond O’Bryen Horsford of the Leicestershire Regiment on
02.06.1930 at St Mary’s Church, Holyhead. Reginald was resident at Carminia Road,
London. The couple had one daughter. Muriel was also a mezzo soprano and was
described as having a powerful voice and that she played like an angel. She played
with the Belfast Wireless Orchestra after her marriage. She moved to Chalfont St
Peter in 1943.
4 Ida Florence Maud Starkie born 01.06.1903 at Undercliff, Killiney. Ida was a
professor at the Royal Irish Academy of Music. She married Garda Superintendent
Michael O’Reilly from Dunlavin son of Michael O’Reilly on 07.05.1927 at the Roman
Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart in Donnybrook and they lived in Bray. Ida
was a professional cellist on staff with the RDS. Michael retired from An Garda Síochána
in 1955 and was later secretary to the Irish Whiskey Distillers Association.
5 Nancy Helen Starkie youngest daughter born 05.09.1910 at Somerset House, Blackrock.
Nancy married John Cooper only son of Commander Cooper R.I.N. of Ballintaggart,
Collinstown, Kildare on 10.10.1936 in London. Nancy was with the Women's RAF from
1956. She was stationed in Cyprus in 1959.
6 Humphrey William Robert Starkie born circa August 1915 died 29.08.1915 aged 3 weeks
at Melfort, Shrewsbury Road, Dublin.
© June Bow & Karen Poff - January 2024
Return to Somerset House page
William Joseph Myles Starkie married 25.07.1893 May Caroline Walsh
born 10.12.1860 Roman Catholic Cathedral born circa 1871
Rosses Point, Co Sligo Marlborough Street Dublin City
died 21.07.1920 (59) died 20.02.1961 (89)
at Cushendun, Antrim Dublin
William Joseph Myles Starkie of Harrow House, Killiney son of William Robert Starkie and
Francis Powers was born circa 1861 in Sligo. He was educated at Clongowes and
Shrewsbury School, Shropshire and later at Trinity College, Oxford. He left college to
travel around Italy and Greece, on his return to Ireland he married Mary Caroline Walsh,
daughter of Cornelius Walsh at the Pro Cathedral in 1893. William was a Greek scholar
and translator of Aristophanes and was appointed Resident Commissioner of National
Education for Ireland. He introduced Irish History into the National School's primary
curriculum. They lived at Somerset in Blackrock from 1906 to 1910 and by 1911 were
living at Shrewsbury Road. They employed Parisian mademoiselle Leonie Cora to teach
their children French and music. In 1914 William became a member of the Privy Council
of Ireland. During WW1 May worked at the Sphagnum Moss Association and was noted
as being an ‘invaluable regular worker for nearly 3 years”. May was a teacher at the
Royal Irish Academy of Music and later its vice president. She was a member of the RDS
music committee and a member of Feis Ceoil. William died 21.07.1920 ay Cushendun,
Antrim and his funeral was held at the Pro Cathedral. May died 20.02.1961 at Dartmouth
Square late of Lansdowne Road. Both are buried at Glasnevin.
1 Walter Fitzwilliam Starkie born 09.08.1894 at Harrow House, Killiney. Walter was
educated at Shrewsbury School and Trinity College. His violin teacher was Achille
Simonetti and he won first prize for violin at the Royal Irish Academy of Music in
1913. He became a fellow of Trinity College in 1926 and the first Professor of
Spanish the same year. He was a Hispanic scholar and travel writer excelling at
the violin. Walter married the Opera Singer Augusta Italia Porchietti daughter of
Alberto Porchietti of Genoa in 1921. Augusta worked as a nurse with the Italian
Red Cross during WW1. Walter collected Gypsy folklore, he published a book on
Luigi Pirandello and was a director of the Abbey Theatre from 1927 to 1942.
Walter died on 2 Nov 1976 in Madrid and Augusta died in 1977. Both are buried in
the British cemetery, Madrid.
2 Enid May Starkie eldest daughter born 18.08.1897 at Harrow House. Enid an Irish
Literary critic was educated at Alexandra College and won a three year scholarship
to Somerville College, Oxford and later went to the Sorbonne in Paris where she
completed her doctorate. She was described at witty, entertaining dainty and
girlish and also described as odd or eccentric mainly because she wore loud
colours and an equally loud beret. Her flats were similarly decorated, one was
mainly gold and red with a totem pole in the drawing room. She was knocked
down by a bus in 1932 and spent three weeks recuperating in a nursing home and
in 1936 she contracted a fever when she was holidaying in Italy. In 1951 she was
photographed for Vogue. She was honoured as an officer of the Legion d'honneur
in 1958, and as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1967. Dr Enid
Starkie died in 1970 at Oxford and is best remembered for her authoritative studies
on major French literary figures including Arthur Rimbaud (1947) and Charles
Baudelaire (1957).
3 Frances Muriel Starkie born 20.02.1899 at Queens College, Galway. She attended
the Royal Academy of Music and was awarded the Coulson Exhibition award in
1911. Muriel worked at the Sphagnum Moss Association for a year during WW1. She
married Reginald Thomond O’Bryen Horsford of the Leicestershire Regiment on
02.06.1930 at St Mary’s Church, Holyhead. Reginald was resident at Carminia Road,
London. The couple had one daughter. Muriel was also a mezzo soprano and was
described as having a powerful voice and that she played like an angel. She played
with the Belfast Wireless Orchestra after her marriage. She moved to Chalfont St
Peter in 1943.
4 Ida Florence Maud Starkie born 01.06.1903 at Undercliff, Killiney. Ida was a
professor at the Royal Irish Academy of Music. She married Garda Superintendent
Michael O’Reilly from Dunlavin son of Michael O’Reilly on 07.05.1927 at the Roman
Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart in Donnybrook and they lived in Bray. Ida
was a professional cellist on staff with the RDS. Michael retired from An Garda Síochána
in 1955 and was later secretary to the Irish Whiskey Distillers Association.
5 Nancy Helen Starkie youngest daughter born 05.09.1910 at Somerset House, Blackrock.
Nancy married John Cooper only son of Commander Cooper R.I.N. of Ballintaggart,
Collinstown, Kildare on 10.10.1936 in London. Nancy was with the Women's RAF from
1956. She was stationed in Cyprus in 1959.
6 Humphrey William Robert Starkie born circa August 1915 died 29.08.1915 aged 3 weeks
at Melfort, Shrewsbury Road, Dublin.
© June Bow & Karen Poff - January 2024
Return to Somerset House page