However, in 1921 the house was burned down by the republicans and the Skrine family had to move back to Northern Ireland and lived at their cousins house until the Skrine's home in Ballyrankin was stable to live in again. Later life and death After marrying Walter Clarmont Skrine in 1895 the couple re located to live a rather secluded life on Walters 17,000-acre ranch 24 miles southwest of high river in Alberta Canada. They would live peacefully there for six years, starting a family, before returning to Moira’s beloved Ireland in 1902. With the family now growing larger, the family originally settled on the outskirts of Dublin in Ballymore Eustace Co. Kildare before moving ultimately to Ferns in Co. Wexford. Having had her family home in Ferns tragically burned down by republicans during the war of independence, Moira along with Husband Walter re located temporarily to the north of Ireland while they awaited the reconstruction of their home. It was during this stay in the north of Ireland that reminded her of the deep-rooted love for Antrim she still possessed, the county in which she was born, and inspired her to publish 'More songs of the Glens of Antrim' a somewhat sequel to her earlier release in 1901 'Songs of the glens of Antrim' one of Moira O'Neill's most coveted collections of poetry. Although Agnes took her husband's last name, she continued to write under her nom de plume 'Moira O'Neill' well into her later life as she continued to publish Poetry. O'Neill and husband Walter had five children. Their daughter Mary went on to become a novelist and playwright who went under the pen names 'Molly Keane' and occasionally 'M.J Farrell'. It was in 1930 that O'Neill's husband Walter would pass away leaving his wife, then 65, to live another quarter of a century without him. With her children grown up and having never been a social character, O'Neill became even more introverted and isolated socially without her family present. Moira O'Neill died at Ballyrankin house in County Wexford on January 22, 1955, aged 90. References External links Agnes Higginson Skrine from "Adventurous Albertans" 1864 births 1955 deaths Canadian people of Irish descent People from County Antrim Irish women poets Irish poets