Letter from Roberta Mansfield to Hanna Sheehy Skeffington,16 March 1916 Letters 1916-1923 Roberta Mansfield

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In this letter from Roberta Kerr Mansfield (1872-1937) to Hanna Sheehy Skeffington (1877 - 1946) , Mansfield expresses regret that she cannot act as a speaker at one of Skeffington's meetings and wile she enjoys speaking about education would have been put off by Skeffington's impressive line up of other speakers. Mansfield also praises Skeffington's broad minded and liberal programme. Hanna Sheehy Skeffington suffragette, nationalist, language teacher, was the founder of the Irish Women’s Franchise League and a founding member of the Irish Women Workers’ Union. She 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 33,604/17-8 https://letters1916.ie/item/3474 English Roberta Mansfield 1916-03-16 9 Montrose Terrace, Ranelagh, Dublin, Ireland Hanna Sheehy Skeffington Female 1937 Politics Politics Country and City Life

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 9 Montrose Terrace Ranelagh 16th March. 1916 Dear Mrs Skeffington Even if I had been able to accept your very kind invitation to speak at one of your meetings, I am afraid that your formidable list of speakers would have quite frightened me off! I am not in any sense a public speaker, though I can manage to fill a gap at a meeting sometimes when the subject has to do with education. At present, having yielded to persuasion and become a member of the Secondary Teachers' as well as the Graduates' committee, I am quite unable to under- take anything further, particularly an evening engagement, as I have two invalids on my hands at home as well as my school work and private teaching I am going to take part in the discussion at the next Secondary Teachers' meeting but I am afraid that must be my limit. May I ask you to make a note of this address? I am not at Alexandra School every day, and I do not think the Doctor cares to have letters for the teachers addressed to the school in any case. I very much appreciate your wide and liberal programme; in the past women of strong views have been too much inclined to carve them- selves in opposite camps crying "Who so is not with us is against us." You will do infinite good by your broad minded policy. I hear occasionally from my cousins Dr. Ross C.S.P. he is doing good work among the Catholic students of the University of Texas. Yours sincerely R. Mansfield Roberta Mansfield Letter from Roberta Mansfield to Hanna Sheehy Skeffington,16 March 1916 9 Montrose Terrace, Ranelagh, Dublin, Ireland Letter from Roberta Mansfield to Hanna Sheehy Skeffington,16 March 1916