Letter from Maud Gonne MacBride to Fr. Senan Moynihan OFM Cap. thanking him for the advance copy of ‘The Capuchin Annual’. She also refers to the plight of republican prisoners on hunger strike in the Curragh camp in County Kildare. She writes ‘Though you may think the policy of these men unwise, no one can question their sincerity and courage’.
A letter from Mary MacSwiney to Fr. Senan Moynihan OFM Cap. referring to some writings of Terence MacSwiney which may be suitable for publication in ‘The Capuchin Annual’. She refers to the ‘short sketch of O’Donovan Ross’ or ‘some extracts from the “Music of Freedom”, the first book he published in 1907’. She adds that the Terence’s papers were ‘badly scattered’ as a result of ‘enemy action from time to time’.
Letter from Mary MacSwiney (Máire Nic Shuibhne), 23 Suffolk Street, Dublin, to ‘Brother Shannon’ (Br. Senan Moynihan OFM Cap.), St. Bonaventure’s Capuchin Hostel, Cork, expressing her disquiet that he published the second part of ‘Scéal “Sheandúin” without her permission. She asks for the return of the original manuscript.
Letter from Mary MacSwiney (Máire Nic Shuibhne), 23 Suffolk Street, Dublin, to ‘Brother Shannon’ (Br. Senan Moynihan OFM Cap.), St. Bonaventure’s Capuchin Hostel, Cork, re the possibility of publishing of ‘Scéal “Sheandúin” in the ‘Sinn Féin’ newspaper. The file includes a copy of MacSwiney’s letter to Diarmuid Ó Murchadha about the matter in which she suggests that the journal would have a ‘wider and possibly more appreciative circle of readers’ in ‘Sinn Féin’. With Ó Murchadha’s reply to MacSwiney.
A letter from Mary Josephine Plunkett (née Cranny) (1858-1944) to Fr. Canice Bourke OFM Cap. enclosing copies of some of her son’s (Joseph Mary Plunkett) poetry. She asks Fr. Canice to write an appreciation of his work. One of the enclosures notes that Joseph was ‘only 24’ when it was written. The other enclosure is a copy translation from the Roman Breviary dated 15 October 1920.
Letter from Margaret ‘Maggie’ Moloney (1869-1959), to Fr. Philip King OFM Cap. (1885-1952). Margaret was celebrated as purportedly the world’s only known female harbour master when she assumed the position in Glin, County Limerick, following the death of her brother James in November 1918. She was also likely the longest-tenured harbour master in Ireland, only retiring from the role in 1952. The letter outlines how her brother worked for fifteen years as harbour master (including through the years of the Great War) and how he had to contend with petty local disputes to retain his role and secure an increase in wages.
