Letter from Sister M. Cyprian to Sinéad de Valera, 29 May 1916

Foo, Bar; Bar, Foo

Letter from Sister M. Cyprian to Sinéad de Valera, 29 May 1916

1 Mercy Convent,
Cork Street,
Dublin 29.5.16 My dear Mrs De Valera, I sympathize with you more than I can tell in
your present troubles & loneliness. It is a deep draught of consolation
that Mr. De Valera has the gift of life, that it is rescued for Him who
has given it to withdraw it — and D.V your husband will enjoy a long
life with you yet. When things quiet down he will be released very
soon. God will never refuse our prayers for this — I trust him fully.
Since 1st May I pray every day at Mass & Holy Communion at
6.30 each evening I say the 30 days prayer to our B. Lady and I hope
to begin the '9 First Fridays' on 2nd June . I promise you to continue
praying & to get all the prayers I can till I hear of Mr. De Valera's
return home. Of cource you must feel the seperation keenly but
when a man's only crime is his love for Ireland — it's a glorious crime In awaiting the sentence I consoled myself with the conviction
that a man with his handwriting would never be executed. We
have got this much & it is already a big grace — so let us hope
for all our desires in this matter — viz — that your husband may
be home very verysoon I do not know what the rules about letters are in this
present circumstances but I enclose a letter & a pair of scapulars
for Mr. De Valera — as I have used not seditious language I can't
see that he should be refused to have them. However if you
think there would be no chance of his receiving then you can
burn the letter & please tell him I have at least made this
attempt. Mr. De Valera had promised to bring Vivian to see me in
Easter week. I should love to see the children — any Sunday after next
Sunday would be convenient — perhaps you may be able to bring them some
time. Please give B. Flanagan kind remembrance & tell her I quite recollect
her doing Pancratius at an entertainment in Carysfort Good bye. Love to the little children. Believe me my dear Mrs De Valera you have my very deepest - sympathy - I trust & hope for the very
best - & we shall obtain it -
Very sincerely yours in Jesus Christ Sr. M. Cyprian

A letter to Sinéad de Valera (1878-1975) from Sister M. Cyprian. In this letter Sister Cyprian sympathises with Mrs. de Valera on her husband's imprisonment. She is praying daily for his release and return to his family. She encloses a letter and a pair of scapulars which she asks Mrs. de Valera to give to her husband. Finally she asks Mrs.de Valera to bring her children to visit her at the Convent (Mercy, Cork St., Dublin) - a visit which, apparently, had been promised by her husband before his incarceration. Sinéad de Valera (née O'Flanagan), author and teacher, was the wife of Éamon de Valera (1882-1975). After the Rising, Sinéad was pregnant and without an income while her husband was in prison, and was forced to return to the family home in Phibsboro to care for her invalid sister and mother. Throughout much of the ensuing political upheaval she saw little of her husband, who was either imprisoned or on the run.

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How to cite

Letters 1916, published by the Austrian Centre for Digital Humanities, Vienna, 2026 (https://letters1916static.github.io/letters1916-static/item__5807.html)