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

1943 Elizabeth Bobbett: Letter to Oliver J. Flanagan, 18.09.1943

Laoighis-Offaly’s Confidence1

Dear M. Oliver J. Flanagan: I am very sorry to see by a letter from Mr. Lennon to the ‘Irish Independent’ that the fact of you having seconded my nomination for the Seanad election has got you into trouble with your Association. I would ask you to please hand this letter to Mr. Lennon or your Chairman at the proposed meeting of your Association to be held on 05.09.1943, as per the letter in the paper. I also return you the letter which you so kindly sent me on 27.07.1943, in which you explained to me that you could not vote in the Seanad election as you were bound by your Executive. In case you have not a copy of that letter to me it will go to prove that you have been loyal to any pledge you gave to your Association. I would ask your members to have any little differences over this matter amicably settled up, as it is not in the best interests of an Association to show publicly such differences. I would be terribly grieved if I was the cause of any split, particularly as I am one of the oldest advocates of Monetary Reform, which I have been quietly, but firmly putting before the farmers for the past 11 years, long before some of the IMRA woke up. You will admit that I have given you much interesting information on the subject and put you in touch with influential people, even in England, who are doing their best to advance the cause.

As there was no member of the IMRA going forward for the Seanad election I believe I was the strongest hope you had of pushing this very important object on every occasion in the Seanad House had I been successful. Therefore, I sincerely hope that you will not be asked to leave your Association, and that a satisfactory conclusion will be come to by your Executive. And if you like to have it publicly stated that I am a strong advocate on the necessary Monetary Reform in our present financial system I am quite willing to have it put in the paper. I don’t know Mr. Lennon’s address or I would write to him personally, so please give him this letter. I am sincerely sorry if I have caused you this unnecessary worry by your kindness in seconding my nomination which you did in the best interests of the cause. Yours sincerely, Elizabeth F. Bobbett.”

1 - The letter written by Elizabeth Bobbett was quoted in an article in the Nationalist and Leinster Times, 18.09.1943.

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 Oliver J. Flanagan, 18.09.1943, 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/1943-09-18-106.html, consulted on .

Copyright and Creative Commons Licence

This digital edition is subject to copyright and the Creative Commons licence CC-BY-SA.

Export as a TEI XML file

The edition of the writings of Elizabeth F. Bobbett can also be downloaded as a TEI XML file here.