Letter from John MacDonagh to Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, 1916 Letters 1916-1923 John MacDonagh

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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.

 National Library of Ireland Sheehy Skeffington Papers, Collection List No. 47, MS 33,604/15-17 https://letters1916.ie/item/1004 English John MacDonagh 1916 Hardwicke Street, Dublin, Ireland Hanna Sheehy Skeffington 34 Westmoreland Street, Dublin, Ireland Male Country and City Life Politics Culture and the Arts

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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 Mrs. Skeffington 34 Westmoreland St. 34 Westmoreland Street, Dublin, Ireland Letter from John MacDonagh to Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, 1916 Hardwicke Street, Dublin, Ireland Letter from John MacDonagh to Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, 1916 John MacDonagh Letter from James Stephens to John MacDonagh, 24 August 1916Letter from John MacDonagh to Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, 1916