Letter from Angela "Witchie" to her uncle, Tomás Mac Curtain, 13 July 1916

Foo, Bar; Bar, Foo

Letter from Angela "Witchie" to her uncle, Tomás Mac Curtain, 13 July 1916

1 2 Moorfield Terrace
South Douglas Rd.
Cork (July)13-7-'16

My darling Uncle Tom, At last I got the chance
of writing to you. How are you getting
on now? I'm dying for you to come
home, as the place seems so lonely
without you. We do not like half
so much going to Blackpool since
you are gone. Because it is so lonely,
Siobhán is now in first look. Patrick
is going to Sullivans Quay School &
likes it very much. He learns Irish
there. On Sunday we went to Kilcrea
to the O'Driscolls. We went down
on the 9.15 a.m. and got Mass at
10.15 in Kilcrea. Do you know a
boy named Bernard O'Driscoll?
He is related to the OD's in Kilcrea.
If he is there with you give him
best love from his family. 2 I am sending a little Holy Picture
to Mr MacSweeney and one to your
little self. I have no 'corncrakes'
around me now as I am in Moorfield.
I am going to Blackpool after dinner. I have not much news this time.
I hope you will find a little
corner in your cell for the little picture. We were out in Young's house
yesterday (Wednesday) with Aunt
Han. We were nearly sick from
eating gooseberries and red currants.
Of the latter we made a drink
by mashing the currants up in
sugar and goats milk. It was
lovely. Best love from all here
and in Blackpool.

Goodbye now darling Witchie
xxxxxxYour ever lovingxxxx
xxxxxxx and grateful xxxxx
xxxxxxxPo. 1 Rotten Cork xxxx
P.S. Love to Mr. MacSweeney

In this letter, Angela "Witchie" writes to her uncle with general news from Cork. She finds it lonely in Blackpool without him. She is enclosing a holy picture for his cell and is also sending one to MacSweeney (Terence?). Tomás MacCurtain (1884–1920), republican, was born Thomas Curtin in Ballyknockane, Co. Cork, on 20 March 1884. MacCurtain was a founder member of the Cork executive of the Irish Volunteers, and in the time leading up to the 1916 Rising, he travelled the county organising new Volunteer units. MacCurtain was arrested in Cork in May 1916, and sent to Dublin before being deported to Wakefield prison on 30 May. On 10 June he was moved to Frongoch in north Wales and on 11 July to Reading gaol, where he remained until his release in December 1916. He continued to lead the Cork Volunteers despite being imprisoned on other occasions in 1917. On 30 January 1920 he became the first Sinn Féin lord mayor of Cork. On 20 March 1920, MacCurtain was shot dead in his bedroom a major escalation in the spiral of violence that marked the last year of the war of independence.

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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__3482.html)