Letter from Charlie Daly to Kate Allman, 30 October 1922 Letters 1916-1923 Charlie Daly

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Letter written to family friend Katherine Allman who had previously announced her decision to become a nun. Katherine was later called St. Gertrude and gave her letters from Charlie to Charlie's sister in the 1960s.

 Kerry County Archives Charlie Daly Collection, P41/10/1/3 https://letters1916.ie/item/5222 English Charlie Daly 1922-10-30 Tirconaill, Donegal, Ireland Kate Allman Male 1923 Personal Relations Civil War (1922-1923) Faith

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 Tirconaill Oct 30th '22 A Chait A chara Dhílis Well wonders will surely nevercease! I got your letter of the 20th last nightThissudden announcement of yours took me completelyoff my feet. for although 'tis quite natural thatyou should make up your mind to become anun, the news has come so unexpectedly thatI couldn't help getting something like a shock.I would indeed be far less surprisedif you had announced that you had justgot married. but of the two you are choosingthe wiser and I am sure, the happier course.On account of its suddenness I cannotrightly explain yet how I feel about it.My first & natural feeling was, of course, ofsadness. for the first thing I thought of wasthat after Nov 21st I could no longer lookforward to any letters from you and I supposeeven if you do write, like May Allman, yourmind will be fixed so much on things eternalthat you wont bother about worldly affairs.However, Katty, I can never imagine you likethat even if your were a nun a hundredtimes over I rather think that you will 2 still be your same self who will always behappy to see or hear from your oldfriends. The saddest part of it is that wecan no longer look forward to the samegood old times at Rockfields. Duringall the trouble I often looked forwardto the time when it would be all over, tosome of the same gay times when youwould be home on holidays. This of coursewas but imagination but as you musthave realised yourself one cant helppainting such pictures when away in a strangeplace & among strange people. Anyway Godonly knows when all this trouble will beover or if I ever see home again. Besidein this life we can't have things as wewish and sooner or later there has tobe a parting of the old friendships &associations of our youth - this is oneof the inexonerable laws of this world.You will probably smile at the way I haveput this & will perhaps think that I amsetting myself up as a philosopher - orperhaps a fool. The long & short of itanyway Katty is that I am glad for your 3own sake that you are doing this. You arechoosing a course of life in which youare sure to be happy and in whichyou will not have much need for worry,to tell the truth. I have often felt for thepast couple of years, especially for the past 12months, when I have felt fed up withthings that I would be glad to be done with everything in some way like that. I'm afraid thoughthat I am not made for such a life & Isuppose 'tis my lot to carry on as I am. It certainlyseems a big job remaining in the world & savingyour soul these days when you follow thedictates of your conscience & try & do whatyou is right. You are told by the Bishops& priests that you are on the road to Hellso far as I see 'tis only in a convent ormonastery where one has nothing to dowith government or wars that one has anypeace these days. You ask me to say aprayer for you. I will & be sure thoughgoodness knows if a person believes allthats said these times it might be thoughtthat my prayers would be of very littleuse. Here is our position at present: we 4 are denied the sacraments no mater howmuch a priest is in sympathy with us hedarent hear our confessions under penalty ofsuspension. At least thats how tis in this dioceseDo you pray for me also Katty. Being deniedthe other consolations of religion that is allwe have to fall back on. One thing theycant do anyway is to stop us praying. Onaccount of the way the Church is getting on in thiscountry at present I fear that a good manyfellows will chuck up religion completely. It isonly our strong Catholic faith & the conviction thatwe are right that sustains us. Our predicament is a pretty tough one but with Godshelp we will get over it. I, too, would like to have a chat withyou before you enter but tis totally impossibleunless something unforseen happens within thenext couple of weeks. To get to Dublinor anywhere else for that matter is out ofthe question under present circumstances, butle conghiamh Dé if I ever get out of here Iwill pay you a visit without fail, andI dont think that the fact of your beingbehind convent walls will prevent us 5 having a good chat. I am glad that 'tisa Mercy Convent you are entering. You willhave some liberty there & it will be easiergetting to see you who knows but Imay be home in time for your profession.Pray that I will anyway. I would like tobe there if possible. I hope that youhave got my last letter alright I think itshould have reached you about a weekago. I explained in it why I didn't writesooner. I hope you took what I saidabout the political situation in the way I meantyou would & that you were not vexed withme for putting things so plainly. Now thatI think of it you must have made upyour mind about leaving the world bythe way you wrote of things then. Is thatso? I'm glad that you found Míceál well.Twasn't true then that he had left. Queer thatwe should be in opposite camps but Ihope that the day is not far when we willbe all one again. Write me a long letter soon agaKatty. I will miss your letters verymuch after our regular correspondence for the past couple of years, but I do hopethat you will be able to drop aline now & again. I will know atany rate that you are praying forme no matter where I am alive or deadand I will always remember youas my best friend - if you like touse a commoner term - my bestpal.Wishing you every happiness andthe very best of luck MiseDo chara dílis go BuainCormac P.S. I've had no letters from homesince. I will write you againnext week. I will give you anotheradd. next week so that I willget your letter as soon as it arrives.Slán / Beannacht leat arís C. Tirconaill, Donegal, Ireland Letter from Charlie Daly to Kate Allman, 30 October 1922 Charlie Daly Letter from Charlie Daly to Ellen Daly, 31 October 1921Letter from Charlie Daly to Ellen Daly, 9 November 1921Letter on behalf of Chief of Staff to All Divisional Commandants, 30 November 1921Christmas Card from Cis Doherty to Charlie Daly, [December 1922]Letter from H. McGrath to Charlie Daly, 4 February 1923Letter from Cornelius Daly to Charlie Daly, 19 February 1923Letter from Charlie Daly to Kate Allman, 30 October 1922Letter from Charlie Daly to Sinéad Ring, 1 February 1923Letter from Róise Ní Dhómhnaill to Charlie Daly, December 1922Letter from Róise Ní Dómnaill to Charlie Daly [January 1923]Letter from Róise Ní Dómnaill to Charlie Daly, [February/March 1923]Letter from Charlie Daly to May Daly, 21 February 1923Letter from Susan Daly to Charlie Daly, 29 January 1923Letter from Sheila Doogan to Charlie Daly, 8 February 1923Letter from Ellen Daly to her son Charlie Daly [Cormac Ó Dálaigh], December 1922 Kate Allman Letter from Charlie Daly to Kate Allman, 30 October 1922Letter from Kate Allman to May Daly, 15 April 1923Letter from Ellen Daly to Kate Allman, 28 March 1923