1 The Priory Rathfarnham May 14th 16 Dearest Dammie I don't think I
answered a nice long
letter I had from you
just before the rebellion.
What a time we have
had. Here the roar of 2
of Cannon of Rebel &
machine guns never
ceased night or day,
only some times the
Fleetspokeup & then
we heard nothing else
& our windows rattled,
it was awful. The house
lighted by night by
fires, & by day we looked
into a lurid cloud,
in the night there
seemed to be a sea
of fire — Soldiers home
from the Front, say
what was Sackville St,
is now like Ypres. Is it not wicked to say
say that lazyness
& 'wait & see' policies brought 3 such terrible loss of life
& destruction of property.
The soldiers were nearly
dead from want of
food. From Monday
till Friday only a
little biscuit & some tea.
We were better off than
those in Dublin as we
helped each other. The
first flour for Rath
farnham. 4
came in armoured
cars with escort of troops,
& last Tuesday the
military came to
search the village with
machine guns at top
of street & armoured
cars in it too. I think
3 of those in. Hermitage
straight op p osite is the 5
'St Enda' the Pearce's
& the mother & sister
are still there. Where you stand on
Carlisle Bridge beyond
the Pillar there is
only a black, smoking,
stinking mass. The
wall or front of a house
standing like a skeleton
& also down to Custom
House. Dr. Lent biked
in to see Bank was safe
3 or 4 days. He said bullets
were falling like a
hail shower - & on Tuesday
& Wed there was still a
little sniping. Clyde
Rd round St Bartholemews
was very bad. There are 6
some of the soliders
buried in the Church
grounds. There are
many other things
I heard but dont care
to write. I had a nice
letter from Staff he
is very busy at his
garden. I also had 7
from Cecil 2 lines,
and another short one
from D. I wrote to
her a civil letter
Easter Eve - but did
not hear since- & just wrote
a P. S. to Cecil
to say we were safe
but neither wrote.
but Dammie dear 8
I simply could not
respond to all her
gush — I was just friendly
& hoped she would
write & tell me how
they got on 'I was always
glad to hear' It is a
most painful photo
to me. She swears so to
dominate poor Cecil
& it is a horrid face
tho' handsome. He
is not likely to get more
work afloat. One's
age - she & he say -
& they are giving up
the flat & going to the
country to start a food
farm. I don't under
stand 9
it at all. A letter from
Wm Read. love to you-
I do hope Frank &
Raymond are both
better — With much love
Your dearest Granny
For my affec.
Julia
I here a Ply. Lady Garden's
Pupil— 10 Letter from Julia Taylor, about the Rebellion. 1916 Ms Savage-Armstrong Strangford House Strangford Co. Down 11