Margaret Ball (1515–1584) was a prominent member of 16th-century Irish society, who, despite being the widow of a Lord Mayor of Dublin, was arrested for her adherence to the Catholic faith and died of deprivation in the dungeons of Dublin Castle. She was declared a martyr for the faith by the Catholic Church and beatified in 1992, one of a group of 17 Irish Catholic Martyrs.
Early life
She was born Margaret Bermingham in Corballis, a townland now part of the village of Skryne in County Meath, where her father, Nicholas, had purchased a farm when he emigrated from England. The family later became politically active; her brother, William Bermingham, protested in London against Earl Thomas Radclyffe, when he imposed the Protestant Reformation on behalf of the boy-king Edward VI. When she was 16 years old, Margaret Bermingham married Bartholomew Ball, an alderman of the City of Dublin, whose wealthy family operated the bridge over the River Dodder, which is still known as Ballsbridge. She then moved to the city, where the couple lived at Ballygall House in north county Dublin and had a townhouse on Merchant's Quay. They had ten children, though only five survived to adulthood. Bartholomew Ball was elected Lord Mayor of Dublin in 1553, making Margaret the Lady Mayoress of the city. She had a comfortable life with a large household and many servants, and she was recognised for organising classes for the children of local families in her home.
Arrest and death
right|thumb|Margaret Ball
In 1558, Queen Elizabeth I reversed the policy of her sister Queen Mary and imposed her Religious Settlement upon all of her realms. In 1570, the Holy See responded with the papal bull Regnans in Excelsis, which declared Elizabeth to be an illegitimate usurper. During this time of religious persecution, it was well known that Ball provided "safe houses" for any bishops or priests who might be passing through Dublin. Due to her advanced age and severe arthritis, she had to be transported there by a wooden pallet.
Her statue stands outside St. Mary's Pro-Cathedral; she is one of only five historical women (excluding Mary, mother of Jesus) to have a public statue in Dublin, the others being Catherine MacAuley (Baggot Street), Veronica Guerin (Dublin Castle), Constance Lloyd (Merrion Square) and Constance Markiewicz (three locations).