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Hardwicke St 5216 1916 D— Mrs. Skeffington Tomorrow is impossible for me.
I'm out with the Volunteers in the county. Then have
an appointment with my brother for the county
for the rest of the time. I find we must play
a performance before Lent, probably a Strindberg
play. ('Easter') This as you can imagine is a
tremendous lot of work for me. And is of course
my head & butt. However as I told you I'd like
to help by seeing some of your rehearsals &
giving as you call it the benefit of my experience
Reddin is oft in want of some speech.
I know no one else I think who would suit.
Wouldn't Mr Harford do all that part
being in the business? I'll call in some
day next week & see how things stand Yrs John MacDonagh
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Mrs. Skeffington 34 Westmoreland St.
Letter from John MacDonagh (1880-1961) to Hanna Sheehy Skeffington (1877-1946) regarding
an upcoming performance that she is putting on, and whether he could come and watch
a rehearsal, due to his experience in theatre. John MacDonagh was an Irish film director,
playwright, and a participant in the Rising of 1916. His brother was Thomas MacDonagh
(1878-1916), one of the seven main leaders of the Rising, who was executed 3 May 1916.
John MacDonagh was sentenced to life imprisonment, but was released August 1916. After
the Rising, he turned to political film and media, even filming the Issuing of Republican
Loan bonds by Michael Collins (1890-1922).Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, suffragette, nationalist,
language teacher, was the widow of Francis Sheehy-Skeffington (who was summarily executed
on 26 April 1916). She was active during the Rising, bringing food to the Volunteers
in the G.P.O. and the College of Surgeons. Four days passed before she found out what
had happened to her husband, Francis (1878-1916), and it wasn't until almost two weeks
later that the full details of his execution emerged.