1
144 Leinster Rd
Rathmines May 12th 1916 My dear Mrs Skeffington On behalf of
Mr Peterson Mrs Cregan
& myself accept our
deep sympathy in the
tragic death of Mr
Skeffington With deepest sympathy yours sincerely
Annie Peterson
In this letter from Annie Peterson to Hanna Sheehy Skeffington (1877-1946), Annie
writes on behalf of herself and a few others to convey sympathy regarding the murder
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.