Ben Farrington

April 12, 2020February 18, 2020

WEEK 126: (12th – 18th April 1920)

“A very bad account in the papers of the hungerstrikers in Mountjoy, who were at it a week this day. Mrs Kinsella, who is back in the Mall Lane lodgings again with apparently no intention of going to America, came to tea with Ellie.”

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March 8, 2020January 21, 2020

WEEK 121: (8th – 14th March 1920)

“Callaghan came back refused from Maunsell’s. I wish they would give some idea of why they refused it. I went to the Tech & worked on the turquoise pendant. Dorothea & Ben went to Tráit Mór in the afternoon, for Ben to say goodbye to Midvale, & no sooner were they gone than Grace Bell & Ruth came to pay a visit.”

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March 1, 2020October 14, 2019

WEEK 120: (1st – 7th March 1920)

“Tom came back by the morning train, having visited Harry & Lily, Mrs S.S. & the Stephenes as well as staying with Aunt Nannie & Aunt Isabella. Mrs S.S. told him a story of Frank Stephens’s school, how the boys came to ask F.S. to introduce punishments – all other schools had them, & apparently they didn’t know how to manage without. He said if he did it wd probably be caning & would they wish that? They consulted & replied yes if the girls were caned too. F.S. pointed out that the girls had not asked for any punishment, & he would not give it to them till they did – so I don’t know whether the boys had to go on as before or have some other kinds of punishment.”

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January 12, 2020August 9, 2019

WEEK 114: (12th – 18th January 1920)

“I had been reading Psychoanalysis, on loan from Dorothea – a very interesting and suggestive book, which makes me want to read Freud and others. What a lot of apology she has to make for the large part that sex is supposed to play in the unconscious mind – as if most people must be taken for granted as hating & resenting the existence of sexuality in themselves. And yet those people would like things that would revolt me. Dorothea had got able to write automatically by this time, and got a message from Mr Black for his wife.”

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January 5, 2020August 9, 2019

WEEK 113: (5th – 11th January 1920)

“I went to St. Declan’s a.d. to mind Louis while Dorothea went canvassing with Mrs Hayden. He was out with Miss Nesbitt, but came in soon, and was very cross and miserable for a long time. I told D. of the communications I had had from her mother mostly about her children & their likeness to her, which she said were quite true – that she was like her in eyes & mind, & suffered for want of an interest in his life & that Tony was very little changed since she left them. D. had been trying to write, but could not, so I brought her the Ouija board.”

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December 29, 2019August 9, 2019

WEEK 112: (29th Dec – 4th January 1920)

“I went to St Declan’s in the afternoon & D. made various comments on the last bit of Callaghan but one – some helpful & all interesting. She said one remark of his to Dr Morrin just after the trail reminded her when he was about 17. She said there were some likenesses between Tony & him”

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September 29, 2019March 6, 2019

WEEK 99: (29th – 5th October 1919)

“Bessie & I took the baby to Lafayette’s in Royal Avenue to be photographed, and had a dreadful time. First we were kept waiting, & then as soon as we got into the room she commenced to bawl, & kept on for nearly ¼ of an hour, screaming and wringing her hands in spite of all the photographer & we could do with toys which he produced. Finally he did get 3 photos. Of course Bessie thought it was all his fault for not producing the toys quick enough; I thought if I was a photographer I would charge extra for babies.”

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August 18, 2019November 5, 2019

WEEK 93: (18th – 24th August 1919)

“We got home by about 9.30, rather cold by that time, Brighid & I went to tea to the Murphy’s & sat discussing people & politics round the table till after 11. Mrs M. upheld De Valera & Griffith as statesmen, & I exalted Mrs SD above them, & complained of caucassing, which they seemed to consider necessary in anythin plans that must be kept secret. Mrs Murphy abused women as being unable to keep from letting things out, & Dr M. thought men were worse – they do it for money.”

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June 9, 2019December 18, 2018

WEEK 83: (9th – 15th June 1919)

“After tea I went to a C. na mb. meeting & was overjoyed to find they had written to Át Cliat asking to be let off from the flag day because they thought it would inflame the Redmonites & cause violence & injure our chances at the next election, & anyhow only 6 were willing to sell. They seemed poor reasons to me, & unlikely, except the last, but I was just as glad. They had got no reply yet, so there was to be another meeting the next evening.”

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November 5, 2018November 5, 2019

WEEK 58: (5th – 10th November 1918)

“Mrs P. told me she was going to join a league that is being got up to pray for England, & wd I join it? Lane has by no means got to the point of praying for England, & spoke with feeling on the matter. I explained that I didn’t believe in hell, & so didn’t feel the case of the English people so pitiable, as to require us to pray for them, & Mrs P. was much amused.”

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