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4 Cloughmore
Warrenpoint Sunday
May 1916
Dear Mrs Skeffington
Kindly accept
my deepest & most heart-
felt sympathy at this
trying & sad time. What a hard stroke
on all but particularly,
his poor dear father who
loved him much & you
dear Mrs & poor little Owen. What life & spirit both
had when they called
here so unexpectdly &
even congratulated your
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improvement since Xmas
but alas all is over
& under such circumstances
You are I know too
grieved at this time
to read anything con —
cerning the event but
I do hope God may
help you & your dear
Boy to bear this heavy
burden bravely. His father never eat
much since he first read
of the riots — but the
instant he received your
letter card (both arrived
he left us immediately He would have gone the
prev previous day (Thursday)
but the priests said it
may not be quite safe yet
that the Report might be
false — Your paper arrived this
morning Many thanks I
had same number in house
& didn't see — Tell the Dr. That I
received his note this
morning & also that some
letters are here including
an official one which
he expected. Let me
know if I may forward
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I got your late husband
prayers for today (Sunday)
also a mass offered for
the repose of his soul R.I.P Sincerely yours
a.m. Skeffington
In this letter from A.M. Skeffington to Hanna Sheehy Skeffington (1877-1946), A.M.
offers their condolences to Hanna regarding the death of her husband, Francis. A.M.
then conveys the details of some personal affairs and closes with a wish for the repose
of Francis' soul.
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.