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Family and Early Life
Máire, or as known more commonly by her nickname 'Molly', Gill was born in County Dublin to James and Jane Gill on the 24th of March 1891. Gill's father James was employed as a boot-maker in Dublin while her mother was solely focused on domestic duties within the home. She was the second eldest child in a family of eight. She resided in a second-class cottage in the townland of Murphystown in Sandyford with her parents, brothers James and Michael J. and sister Margaret. Gill was raised in a Roman Catholic household. Gill was the only member of her family who was able to read and write in both English and Irish, and had Irish classes orgnaised for her by the Yeats family as well as lessons in drama.

When she was 11 years old Gill’s older sister Jane Gill left their family home in Murphystown to work with Susan Mary "Lily" and Elizabeth "Lolly" Yeats, of the well-known Irish arts and literary Yeats family, in Dun Emer Industries, which would later be known as the Cuala Press. Dun Emer Industries was founded by Elizabeth Yeats and Evelyn Gleeson in 1902 who published work by Irish writers including several works by Elizabeth's brother W. B. Yeats. At the age of 17 Gill herself was employed by the Yeats sisters as an assistant printer at the then Cuala Press which was located on Baggot Street, Dublin 2, specialising as a printer publishing the work of Irish writers. Throughout her camogie career and political activism Gill would continue to work at the Cuala Press into her later life, moving on to be the principle compositor of the press. Gill was very interested in immersing herself in Irish culture from a young age through learning Irish and taking part in cultural activities. Her camogie career started in her youth as she became a member of the Crokes Hurling club, which set up their camogie section in 1906 .Her active involvement in the Crokes and Inghinidhe na hÉireann encouraged her to expand her knowledge of Irish culture, literature, history and art as well as the language itself.