1 Sorrentoville
Dalkey 5/5/16 My Dear Mother Just a few lines. I am eager
to know how you all are. I am not sure
if this letter go directly but as there is a
train running Wexford I am chancing
it. Of course you have heard of the dreadful
times up here. all tat has been
killed & wounded on both sides.
It was awful you could hear the
big guns firing from here & to
see Dublin ablaze at night & every
step you went you met Military with
fixed bayonets doing sentry. You would
have to get a pass to go any distance
even down to Kingstown. I was in Dublin
yesterday, rode in, Oh to see Sackville
St. All in complete ruin. the G.P.O.
gutted to the ground, the Imperial &
Metropole Hotels grand buildings also
the Hibernian Bank & the Munster & Leinster,
Clerys big drapery business along with 2 a whole lot more fine places., but those
are the chief. Also the DBC Restaurant
a grand place, then Jacobs Factory is
gone & a lot more buildings on other
streets. Then there are shops looted inside
a ruck but not burnt . On the whole
Dublin is a ruined city. Also Liberty Hall
is gone. It was bombarded by a gun
ship the to see the baricades they made
Anything they got could get beds & bedding
Tables Chairs bicycles Motor cars Taxi
cars, bags of flour & sugar.
Westland Row & then to see the
trenches they made in Stephens Green &
the barricading they done around. They
of course took all the stations. It was
real Flanders at home. How are you
all I am pretty fare considering the
times we nearly had a famine also.
No bread or anything. The Military are
now keeping a sharp look out for all
Sinn Feinirs or Sympatisers with them.
Any one in their favour now will be dealt
with & then Martial law it is rather hard
to be in doors these evening at 7.30