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31.1.16 Riversdale, Templeogue. Dear M rs Sheehy Skeffington I have been so worried
& busy nursing my sister who
was frightfully ill with Pneu—
monia, & my father who is
still very ill, also I shd
not have left your letter so long
unanswered. I never recite & I have only
one Recitation in the world &
it's lengthy & in Irish so it
would only be suitable at a purely
Gaelic speaking assemblage. If you areshort of singers,
I wd sing for you with pleasure:
wd a French song do? As I
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am studying with a
French man, I have only
French songs at present
& my Repertory of Irish
Folk songs requires re—
plenishing. With renewed apologies Yours sincerely Florence Salked
Letter from Florence Salkeld to Hanna Sheehy Skeffington (1877-1946). Salkeld writes
that she likely will not be able to recite at Skeffington's upcoming concert, because
she never publicly recites and also because her only current recitation is completely
in Irish. If Skeffington is short singers, Salkeld writes that she may be able to
recite her Irish song. 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.