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BEAUPARC. MONKSTOWN, CO. DUBLIN. 10 May 1916 Dear Hannah. I feel I would
like to send you a line
to tell you how much I
feel for you in this
tragedy that has come.
on you. I think I was
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say that sympathy
with you is universal. I do not know where to
find you so I send
you this through
as I feel I must let
you know how sorry
I am for this uncalled
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for miscarriage of
justice. God know the Sheeleys
have had made their
their share and I can
only trust that better
days are in store for
you Yours Sincerely. Kathleen Cantwell.
Letter from Kathleen Cantwell to Hanna Sheehy Skeffington (1877-1946) in which Kathleen
expresses her sympathies regarding the death of Hanna's husband, Francis.
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.