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61, DARTMOUTH SQUARE,
DUBLIN. 16. March 1916 Dear Mrs. Skeffington, I am sorry that I cannot
manage what you ask me.
My father died 3 weeks
ago - that meant I was
away from work for a
fortnight. So I am really
in arrears and find my
hands full with College
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business. I have not been able
to attend any meetings at
all recently. Perhaps next session - after
the long vacation - if you still
have the same arrangements
I could manage it. Yours very sincerely Mary M Macken
Letter from Mary Macken to Hanna Sheehy Skeffington (1877-1946) expressing regret
that she cannot assist Skeffington due to the recent loss of her father but hopes
to participate in the next session.
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.