Letter from K.M.E. to Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, 2 November 1915 Letters 1916-1923 K.M.E.

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In this letter from K.M.E. to Hanna Sheehy Skeffington (1877-1946), K.M.E. writes that they are sorry to hear that Hanna has some down with some kind of illness and that they hope for her recovery. They apologize for not being able to write about a recent dance for the Irish Citizen, the newspaper Hanna edits. K.M.E. then writes that they are not looking forward to the meeting that night if Hanna will not be there, as when she is absent the meetings do not go as well. 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.

 National Library of Ireland Sheehy-Skeffington Papers, Collection List No.47; MS 33,604/13-12 https://letters1916.ie/item/3723 English K.M.E. 1915 60 Dawson Street, Dublin, Ireland Hanna Sheehy Skeffington Politics Country and City Life

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 60 Dawson Street 2nd Nov.1915 Dear Mrs Skeffington, I got your note this morning and am very sorry indeed to hear you are laid up: I hope it is nothing serious and that you will very soon be all right again. I wonder if anyone has written up the dance for you, in any case I enclose a short note but found myself quite unable to write of it at any length. I shall try and let you have something for the Citizen as soon as possible, but unfortunately since our slack season set in my manager has simply lived in the office, and I have not had an opportunity of doing anything for weeks past. Trusting you will soon be quite well. I dont at all look forward to the meeting tonight, when you are absent the whole thing seems to lack cohesion, and the discussion either fizzles weakly out or goes entirely off the rails. With best wishes Very sincerely yours K.M.E 60 Dawson Street, Dublin, Ireland Letter from K.M.E. to Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, 2 November 1915 K.M.E. Letter from K.M.E. to Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, 2 November 1915