Edition Bobbett1. Texts by Elizabeth F. Bobbett: 1.1.1. Correspondence, Private letters

1938 Elizabeth Bobbett: Letter to Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington, 08.11.1938

Source: National Library of Ireland (NLI), Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington Papers

Dear Mrs Skeffington. Very many thanks for your circular in the activities of your League. I shall be very pleased to help in any way I can so long as it is kept non-political, or I should say open to every political mind, the same as we run our Irish Farmers’ Federation. We have members holding all political views, but once we meet under the banner of IFF politics does not enter into it, we work for all farming interests.

I would like to attend some of your meetings if possible I shall attend 18th December meeting, being a direct relation to the Teelings, I am interested in it. My mother’s mother was Elizabeth Teeling.

Please excuse this scribbled note as I am writing it in the train on my way to a meeting in Dublin. I lead a very busy life. You could have no idea of the difficulties under which I work to try to carry out my duties as Secretary of the IFF also and never had any training in secretarial work or took any part in public life till I was driven into the farmers organisation to try and save my home. If I can be of any help to speak at any of your meetings I shall do my humble best. I had been thinking lately, could we women get a deputation received by Mr. Eamon de Valera from the Joint Society of Women, and put the grave problems of farmers wives & children before him. It is almost impossible to get a Farmers deputation received by any of the ministers, the plight of farmers families is so bad I do think if we could get up a women’s deputation it might do some good; particularly as your organisation I think did get an interview with Mr. de Valera before the constitution was passed. You city people have no idea of the mental agony we go through in the country. We are afraid, every knock that comes to the door that it is the Flying Squad to seize our last beast. If you thought we could get the co-operation of Country Women’s Association etc. perhaps you would write me your views and I could go up and see you some day next week. Say Monday or Wednesday next.

Yours sincerely, Elizabeth F. Bobbett, Springfield, Kilbride, Wicklow.

About the digital edition

This volume of Elizabeth F. Bobbett’s writings and speeches is divided into four parts. The first section comprises 321 texts written by her. The second part contains 150 speeches and statements by Bobbett, most of which were published in newspapers. Part 3 contains 727 texts written about Bobbett by contemporaries of her or addressed to her. Finally, Part 4 is a collection of 50 source texts that are important for understanding Elizabeth F. Bobbett’s activism. Parts 3 and 4 will be made available online in March 2027.

Suggested citation

Elizabeth Bobbett: Letter to Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington, 08.11.1938, in: Peter Moser (ed.), In her own Words. The Writings of Elizabeth F. Bobbett (1898-1971). Farmer, Feminist and Public Figure, Bern, 2026, https://www.histoirerurale.ch/editions/pages/bobbett/1938-11-08-41.html, consulted on .

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