WEEK 89: (21st – 27th July 1919)

“Hanbury was civil & quiet & didn’t say much. When we were going home he asked me was I was Socialist & when I said I didn’t know what I was since reading Three Roads to Freedom he said wasn’t it a splendid book. Paine came up thro’ Mr W. saying he had read his Rights of Man but couldn’t see what basis there was to the idea of national right unless it is allowed to come from God. Katie as usual took little part.”

NLI Call Number: MS, 3582/35
NLI Catalogue Link can be found here
Date Range of Diary: 29th October 1918 – 11th September 1919

WEEK 89: 21st – 27th July 1919

Image taken from Irish Memories by Somerville,. E. and Martin Ross – Internet Archive Book Images

Monday 21st July. I walked the bank clerk at Shalloe’s dog up the road & about the nursery & in the field by the muddy pond. Its very exhausting work taking out a dog in a string be & running with him. He was a very amicable black & white setter. I visited Janie Bell after tea & we sat out in the garden till pretty late. I had to read for Uncle E. all these evenings as Miss Bowman was on her holidays – it was Somerville & Ross’s Irish Memories, in which their revolting social & political side comes out more than in their stories.

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Tuesday 22nd. I went to the tea at the Walpole’s & met one of the new teachers from Newtown – one Hanbury, English of course, & a C.O. He is better looking than either Mettrick or Armitage, & nicer, without the affection of the one or the touch of hard commonness of the other. Mr W. talked to me about Orristown & the Byrons & A.E., & was surprised to hear that practical farmers like Mr Byron & W. Waring take the Irish Homestead. After tea we sat in the drawingroom Boadle wasn’t there – & very soon Mr W. began on “self government”. – Be cor used it sometimes to mean national sg & sometimes personal sg, & it was very confusing. People who want it he considers mostly to so from desire to be on top & objection to any sort of authority over them. Sinn Féiners are like this – the leaders at least. They ought to be reforming civil politics & the social & municipal matters generally before they demand national freedom. I hate arguing such things with or before Englishmen so I

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couldn’t speak as freely as I might have. Miss Walpole told me a story about Paine repenting on his death bed to a Quaker girl who told Stephen Grellet afterwards – I looked it up in his Life & found she told a similar yarn about a farmer Hicksite, which was proved to be false. Also that Paine was in such dread of Christians concocting such stories about him when he was dying that he wd never be left alone. Hanbury was civil & quiet & didn’t say much. When we were going home he asked me was I a Socialist & when I said I didn’t know what I was since reading Three Roads to Freedom he said wasn’t it a splendid book. Paine came up thro’ Mr W. saying he had read his Rights of Man but couldn’t see what basis there was to the idea of national right unless it is allowed to come from God. Katie as usual took little part.

Wednesday 23rd. I took the bank clerk’s dog to Ballinakillwood & it was very hot. I visited Mrs

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Hayden a.d. Her son Willie is at Barrow on Furness, learning to be a motor engineer, she says he likes it, & is cracked about machinery.

Thursday 24th. I visited R. Butler; her other leg has been ill lately; I don’t know exactly what it is. I visited D. in the afternoon, Mrs Hayden was there too, & I think more interesting than usual. She admired Louis, & asked me suddenly would I like to be married. She has very disillusioned ideas on marriage, considers one of moderate esteem much better than none love is only a short madness, you can’t go on loving a man who wants porridge every morning for his breakfast. I can’t understand why not, but I suppose it means that her husband is fussy. Aunt H. came home from Holyhead in the evening. T & I met her with the motor. She seemed better than when she went; & evidently enjoyed it very much.

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Friday 25 July. Very hot weather. I visited the carstand Powers & they told me about the deputations to their father re his attitude towards the pay of the Corporation labourers who were then on strike since their resolution raising their pay was rescinded. First J. D. Walsh held that he must either change round or resign the presidency, which he had already resolved to do, & then they held back a meeting & begged him not to. I went to the hotel in the evening & got Marie to come cycling with me. It was a lovely evening & we went to Greanaigh castle, where she had never been, but it was ruined by the persecution of a lot of blackguard children who followed us every where yelling & abusing us because we wouldn’t let them ride our bicycles, which we had to take with us whenever we went for fear they would do them an injury. Marie seemed more amused

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than angry; I would have enjoyed killing them all.

Saturday 26 July. – Very hot. Simon came back after being 2 days lost.

Sunday 27th. I cycled to Woodstown with Kitty in the afternoon, and found her a troublesomely fast rider. She had never been there before. It was crowded of course, & the road also. We went down to the south end & sat on the wall for a bit, but it was soon time to go back. It was a very pretty afternoon with delicate light clouds, & tide in.

Featured Image: Woodstown Strand, Woodstown, Co. Waterford. Poole Photographic Collection, National Library of Ireland, POOLEWP 0245)