Letter from Sarah Harden to Donald Harden, 27 April 1916 Letters 1916-1923 Sarah Harden

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This is a letter from Sarah Harden (1870-1929) to her nephew Donald Harden who was then in England. The letter was written during and after the Easter Rising, which had begun on 24 April. Sarah began writing on 27 April and continued to add to the letter until 3 May by which time the postal system has resumed work. She gives a detailed description of her activities during the Rising, what she had seen and heard, rumors and stories told to her by others and refers regularly to friends, relations and neighbours.Sarah Harden was a clerk at the Mission Homes in Dublin and lived on Gratton Street with her two sisters (Aunt K. and Aunt J.) in the letter.

 Genevieve Harden, Private Collection Genevieve Harden, Private Collection https://letters1916.ie/item/274 English Sarah Harden 1916-04-27 24 Gratton Street, Dublin, Ireland Donald Harden England Female Easter Rising Ireland 1916

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 24 Grattan St . April 27. 1916. My dear Donald, I suppose you are all wondering what has become of us & only hope you have not all been in a fright about us. Well we are in the thick of it I may say but are hoping things may be all right in a day or two. On Monday Aunt K. & I were having a good holiday clean up when we were told the Sinn Feiners had taken possession of all the Railways had seized the G.P.O. St. Stephen's Green, Jacob's factory, & several other places including Bolands bread factory quite close to us across the street from Sir P. Dunne's all through the day we heard odd shooting & of course there were great crowds up & down. Aunt K. went out for a walk in the aft. with Aunt J & coming home down Northumberland Rd she saw 3 Ambulances & plenty of evidence of people wounded. The S.F. had taken a corner house & fired on several people. all that eve no policemen or soldiers to be seen near this. Mr B. came down on Tuesday & also Mr. Steele each had plenty of news, also Aunt K. met Ms. Murray as she was coming from the Aunts she had called up to see if they were nervous about us & found they were not at all as they knew nothing Ms M. had been all over the place & told her Trinity was held by O.T.C. till relieved by military. I went out for a short walk Tuesday aft. with Mrs. Green we three are all alone here except that Aunt J. comes over each night. I was able to buy 1/2 lb butter but most of the shops were shut & barred to prevent looting which we heard had started in Sackville St. We had a pretty quiet night on Wed. seemed quiet enough at the start, but at 12:30 yesterday morning the real noise commenced near here, the S.F.s had St. Stephens Schools walls a large house this side of Canal. Daddy will know which if you tell him it was the corner one where Mrs Cooper of Sandymount started a boarding house after her husband died. Well the military had guns on Baggot St. bridge & thundered on from 12.30 until 8.30 when we heard great cheers & shouts afterwards found that the corner house had been set on fire it blazed away for a long time & we hear they got 30 prisoners there. Today they started the guns again about 12.30 but they have not gone on so continuously though plenty of smaller shots are heard from all directions. Mrs. Brid did not get down at all we suppose no one is allowed to pass in. The military are in Mount St. & we hear have taken this Street. The others have a corner house opposite Boy's Home. The boys have been most of the time in the gardens Mrs Irwin says it is the only place where she can keep them quiet. We hear today that the soldiers from Beggars Bush are knocking down houses between them and Bolands so as to be able to shell it next. Yesterday morning a shell from a munition opposite Custom House knocked Liberty Hall to the ground. On the whole as you may imagine our holiday is not all that we would wish. No post either in or out no trams no trains & today no breadman & I have a nasty cold. We don't know what Dona is doing but expect John W. knows something of what is going on & will keep her there. I didn't think they could cross Dublin very easily we have only seen a glimpse of Tuesdays & Wednesdays I. Times & there is no news of course only Royal Proclamation, telling everyone to stay indoors as much as possible. We are very thankful that Miss Staples went to Sandycove last week & Miss A. to England. They must be very uneasy without any letters. I had a cake to send you when we got address but it is half eaten now. I hope you are quite well again April 29. I was too sick yesterday with my cold to go on with this but feel a bit better today. Aunt K. spent Tuesday aft. with Aunt Jo & had to make a great rush to get back here at all. She tried to come by herself at 5 o'clock but the soldiers were preparing to fire in the Street & would not let her cross, then she & Aunt J. got ready their tea & had only just started when the soldiers came in to the house to search for S.F.s it seems they had taken some empty houses & the soldiers were trying to find out exactly where they were. Aunt K. asked the soldier in their room could she get over to Grattan St. & he said yes if she went at once so they both took up what they could carry in the way of eatables & none of us have been out since. Last night the firing over our heads & down the Street was terrific we hardly slept at all. we get little or no news. Mrs Irwin & her boys stay in their garden a good bit & she sometimes hears a bit of what is going on. Her top rooms are cannot be used as the bullets are flying through. What we are having great cooking of soda bread as we have had no bread since Wednesday. Mrs Irwin got some tinned milk & gains & flour from a small shop in G. Canal St. The owner had closed up for fear of looting but was glad enough to sell to her. The big guns are not firing so much today but the rifles are going like mad every now & then, there is a barricade across the top of street & we hear the soldiers are gradually getting possession of all the city there were 60 soldiers wounded in P. Dunnes on Thursday & to judge by the cries a lot of people in the streets have been shot. We also hear that the ladies in Merrion Sqre are nursing the wounded soldiers as the Hospitals are so full. Bolands factory is still in S.F. hands. Sunday April 30. Last night we were all so tired out that we slept pretty well, except Mrs. Green, but the firing wasmust have been very bad. One bullet came into the bathroom, broke the blind stick & made it fly up then across to the door & seems to be embedded in the wall. No one attempted to cross the street this morning to go the Mass. The soldiers kept all indoors & the shooting was very bad. However at 1.30 a man S.F. was seen walking from up the street bareheaded carrying a white flag & before many minutes were gone the whole street was filled. We all rushed out & shortly after about 80 S.F.s marched round the corner by Boys' Home & were halted in front of Office, the man with the white flag met them & they all laid down their arms & marched to one side of street the farthest from us & held up their hands, a few soldiers came down with bayonets fixed etc. & marched them all up towards Slpis then other soldiers came down & all arms & kit were examined & carried off. We hear the G.P.O. & north side of city surrendered yesterday & the rumour goes that the R.C. Archbishop & a priest went to Bolands & other centres & gave them a message from the Authorities to the effect that if they did not surrender the city would be blown up at once by warships in the River. Things are much quieter tonight but shooting still goes on we hear it is a distillery behind Bolands that some are still holding. Priests & doctors in white coats & red cross are up & down with the Ambulance motors. One of our neighbours of the Terrace down side of house gave us a loaf this morning & Mrs.Irwin gave us each a thick slice of hot ham for dinner. We were going to have ½ a goose egg each Aunt K. & I but the ham was a greater treat as we have had nothing but eggs one since Tuesday. I don't think we will be anxious on soda bread again in a hurry. & are hoping to see our bread & milk men in the morning. Poor Aunts we don't know how they are feeling not hearing a word from us & we are afraid to go out yet for fear we might be kept out. Aunt K is writing to Gleneely and we are wondering if you will all wade through our letters it is hard not to repeat ourselves. We hear Sackville St is in ruins and a good many of the people who lost their lives were shot while looting the shops & stores. Leeson St and Baggot St have not suffered, but, St Stevens green is like a wilderness & trenches dug all over it. We are looking forward to seeing Mr Baird in the morning. I am sure he is in a very anxious state about us all. Townsend St Has suffered a good deal but the soldiers took possession of it almost from the beginning. We are very thankful to think the worst is over. Monday May 1st. Last night was almost the worst we had. Though i am glad to say I slept through it all. Mrs Green says it was dreadful. We made up the last flour & eat our last potato at dinner & were proposing to have porridge for tomorrow, when all stopped suddenly. Mrs Lusaw a group of men marching from Hollies St. headed by a white flag and almost at once the street became alive with people. About 2 o'c Celeste Ledony came down the street in Red Cross cap etc. She is helping in Merrion Square to nurse the wounded & she came to see if we were alive. She only stayed at the gate a couple of minutes & came back then less than 1/2 hour with some cold mutton 6 eggs & 6 scones which she had got for us from Mrs Finney the Doctor's wife, we were glad to get the things & since then the soldiers dragged down a bread cart & sold the bread for 3 a loaf, so we were able to get one. We hear there are snipers all over the city & the streets have now been cleared & we have been told no lights are to be seen after 7.30. So we are preparing to go to bed in the dark, & get up to breakfast about 6. We are going to try the daylight saving bill!!! I hope we will soon get word of the Aunts, No one as far as we can hear can get in or out of town except the Red Cross people, but we think Rathmines is quiet beyond Portobello & Ranelagh was all right on Tuesday. Wed. May 3. I walked up to the Aunts new house yesterday they are most uncomfortable only 1/2 moved as the vans did not come to finish, them & also they had been very short of food in Rathmines they were glad to hear we were all right. Today I walked down town to see the ruins, it is dreadful but already people are trying to start work again. I called to see how Uncle James was he has been ill for the past 2 weeks he is better now & the sisters say will soon be alright. I saw both him & Aunt Maggie & Dora. They are having a bad time with snipers there have several bullets through their windows. Things seem very quiet tonight & today the trains were running from Balls Bridge to Kingstown. Our breadman came this morning but our milkman did not. Aunt K got a bit of meat for tomorrow. No posts have come yet but we posted a p.c. to Daddy yesterday & papers today & tomorrow I hope to post this, With love to you all. Your loving Aunt Sarah 24 Gratton Street, Dublin, Ireland Letter from Sarah Harden to Donald Harden, 27 April 1916 England Letter from Sarah Harden to Donald Harden, 27 April 1916Letter from Edward Murray to Davidson, 13 December 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to her mother Maria Duffin, November 1915Letter from Edmund Blayney Clarke to Augustine Birrell, 29 May 1916Letter from Edmund Blayney Clarke to Augustine Birrell, 23 May 1916 Sarah Harden Letter from Sarah Harden to Donald Harden, 27 April 1916