Letter from Francis Sheehy Skeffington to John Francis Byrne, 14 January 1916 Letters 1916-1923 Francis Sheehy Skeffington

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Letter from Francis Sheehy Skeffington to John Francis Byrne regarding Byrne's courtship of an Irish girl. According to Skeffington the girl is struggling to convince her family of the match and requires Byrne to travel to Ireland and marry her immediately or to send her a ticket to America as proof of his intentions. Six months after this letter is written Byrne returns from Ireland to New York with his new wife, Mary Alice Byrne. John Francis Byrne (1880–1960) was a journalist and university friend of James Joyce and Francis Sheehy Skeffington. He wrote under the pseudonym J.F. Renby. Though Byrne emigrated to America in 1910, he spent most of 1916 in Ireland observing and reporting on the political climate. Francis Sheehy Skeffington (1878-1916), journalist, was a prominent feminist, activist and co-founder of the Irish Women's Franchise league in 1908. In 1912, he and his wife, Hanna Sheehy Skeffington (1877-1946), founded the suffragist newspaper The Irish Citizen. A staunch pacifist and nationalist, Sheehy Skeffington opposed Irish involvement in the Great War. During the Easter Rising, he attempted to organise a civilian defence force to prevent looting and saved the life of a British officer under fire. Arrested on the evening of Tuesday 25 April 1916, Sheehy Skeffington and two other civilians were shot by firing squad on the morning of Wednesday 26 April.

 National Library of Ireland Sheehy Skeffington Papers, Collection List No. 47; Ms 33,612/18-27 https://letters1916.ie/item/3957 English Francis Sheehy Skeffington 1916-01-14 John Francis Byrne Male 1916 Personal Relations Personal Relations

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 14th January, 1916. My Dear Byrne, A. H. called on me again yesterday. James' report of my con —versation with him was at first considered favourable; then graduallyopinion began to concentrate on a couple of unfavourable items, ig—noring all others. The family is annoyed because they think, as sheputs it, that one wanting the daughter should approach her owner.She would prefer you to come home, and in that case would be preparedto get married im ediately and afterwards defy the home influences.But if that is for any reason impossible, then she wants to be ableto show them some tangible proof that you want her to go out. Shedoesn't doubt this herself, saying that you have been very patientwith her; but wants evidence to strengthen her pleas with them. Theevidence she suggests is that you should send her her ticket, - aticket available by a definite boat, and preferably soon. With thatto show, she feels she could overcome opposition to her going out. The two letters which you forwarded to me reached me on Jan. 3rdThey bore New York postmark, Dec. 23rd; how was it you didn't postthen sooner? No enclosures. Hope to hear from you soon, especially as totime manner of your receipt of my letters, of which this is the third John Francis Byrne Letter from John Francis Byrne to Carr Van Anda, Oct 27 1916Letter from Francis Sheehy Skeffington to John Francis Byrne, 14 January 1916 Francis Sheehy Skeffington Letter from Francis Sheehy Skeffington to Rosamond Jacob, 10 January 1916Letter from Francis Sheehy Skeffington to Margaret McCoubrey, 10 January 1916Letter from Francis Sheehy Skeffington to Con Lehane, 8 February 1916Letter from Francis Sheehy Skeffington to Miss Lawless, 1 February 1916Letter from Francis Sheehy Skeffington to Margaret McCoubrey, 14 January 1916Letter from Francis Sheehy Skeffington, 5 February 1916Letter from May O'Callaghan to Francis Sheehy Skeffington, 18 November 1915Letter from Stanley Unwin to Francis Sheehy Skeffington, 22 November 1915Letter from Francis Sheehy Skeffington to Dr Gertrude Kelly, 8 February 1916Letter from Francis Sheehy Skeffington to Laurence J. Ginnell, 27 February 1916Letter from Francis Sheehy Skeffington, 1 February 1916Letter from Francis Sheehy Skeffington to Earnest Aston, 1 February 1916Letter from Francis Sheehy Skeffington to Laurence Ginnell, 24 January 1916 Letter from Francis Sheehy Skeffington to Lillian Metge, 1 February 1916Letter from Francis Sheehy Skeffington, 14 January 1916Letter from Francis Sheehy Skeffington to Mrs McGarry, 10 January 1916Letter from Francis Sheehy Skeffington to Laurence Ginnell, 13 February 1916Letter from Francis Sheehy Skeffington to Joseph Skeffington, 30 January 1916Letter from Francis Sheehy Skeffington to John Francis Byrne, 14 January 1916Letter from Francis Sheehy Skeffington to Joseph Skeffington, 27 February 1916