Helen Laird (1874–1957), was an Irish actress also known as ‘Honor Lavelle’, a costumier, teacher, and feminist.
In 1902 Laird appeared in ‘Laying the foundations’, by Fred Ryan using the stage name, ‘Honor Lavelle’.
Yeats initially praised her performance in ‘Cathleen ni Houlihan’ but later changed his mind about her acting skills.
[1][3][4][7] During the time that Laird was as an actress she was also a science teacher in the girls' school, Alexandra College, Dublin.
In 1912 Laird was sent to London by the IWFL to enfranchise 100,000 women through Philip Snowden's clause in the home rule bill.
She continued costuming, for ‘Uncle Vanya’ and acting in Pádraic Ó Conaire's ‘Bairbre Ruadh’ using the Irish version of her name, ‘Eibhlis nic a Bhaird’.