Letter from Mrs E.N. Gilbert to Nancy O'Rahilly, 21 May 1916.

Foo, Bar; Bar, Foo

Letter from Mrs E.N. Gilbert to Nancy O'Rahilly, 21 May 1916.

1 May 21, 1916 825 N. 20th St Philadelphia Dear, dear Nancie, My heart is break
ing for you. I must send you a
word. I am thinking of my dear little
chum in the happy days as Long
Branch and now what bitter
bitter matters have engulfed you.
Not engulfed you tho' thank God
you have your sons to live for 2 and a glorious memory to make
patience and fortitude and great
achievement possible for you all,
I can do nothing for you dear
but live and grieve with you and
for you and pray for you always. With tenderest love, yours always E.N.G I just heard from Madeleine yesterday.

This is a letter of condolence from Mrs. E.N. Gilbert to Nancy O'Rahilly (1875-1961). The writer shares Mrs. O'Rahilly's grief at the death of her husband and consoles her that she has her sons to live for and the 'glorious memory'. She was a member of the Provisional Council of Cumann na mBan at the founding in 1914 and the wife of Michael Joseph O'Rahilly, self-described as 'The' O'Rahilly (1875-1916). The O'Rahilly fought in the Easter Rising and was shot in Parnell/Moore Street on 28 April 1916 and died some time later. Nancy was pregnant at the time of her husband's death – the child was born three months later.

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How to cite

Letters 1916, published by the Austrian Centre for Digital Humanities, Vienna, 2026 (https://letters1916static.github.io/letters1916-static/item__1524.html)