baldman and i took a quick trip to western pa this weekend for the annual furgiuele family reunion. there was lots of chaos as 16 people (of the same (crazy italian) family) all tried to squeeze into one tiny house. but there were a lot of laughs and hilarity ensued during several notable moments throughout the weekend. i'm awaiting some choice photos to publicize some of the funniness. but for now i thought i'd post this letter which was historically interesting and caused quiet a chuckle and many references throughout the weekend.
so the story goes like this. my grandmom volunteers for a book sale at her church every year(i'm pretty sure it's at her church). this year when she was sorting books she came across some books from her previous (irish) priest (who here shall remain nameless, per grandmom's request). this priest is now deceased. inside the book she found the following typed letter to the priest from his cousin in ireland:
County Cork, Ireland October 1, 1940
Dear Cousin,
Your welcome letter received and me and your aunt Bridget thank you kindly for the money sent. We have seven masses said for your Grandfather and Grandmother. God rest their souls.
You have gone high places in America. God bless you. I hope you'll not be putting on airs and forgetting our native land.
Your Cousin, Hughie O'Toole, was hung in Londonderry last week for killing a policeman. God rest his soul. And may God's Curse be on Jimmy Rodgers, the informer, and may he burn in Hell. God forgive me.
Times are not as bad as they might be. The herring is back and nearly everyone who has a heart is making ends meet and the price of fish is good. Thanks be to God.
We had a grand time at Pat Muldoon's wake. He was an old blatherskite and it looked good to see him stretched out with his big mouth closed. He is better off dead and he'll burn till the damned place freezes over. He had too many friends among the Orangemen. God curse the lot of them.
God bless your heart, I almost forgot to tell you about your Uncle Dinny. He took a potshot at at turncoat from in back of a hedge, but had too much drink in him and missed. God's curse be on the dirty drink.
I hope this letter finds you in good health and may God keep reminding you to keep sending the money.
The Brennens are 100% strong around here since they stopped going to America. They have kids running all over the county.
Father O'Flaherty, who baptized you is now feeble-minded and sends you his blessing.
Mollie O'Brien, the brat you used to go to school with, has married an Englishman. She'll have no luck.
May God take care of the lot of you and keep you from sudden death.
Your Devoted Cousin,
Timothy
P.S. Things look bright again. Every police barracks and every Protestant Church has burned to the ground in County Cork. Thanks be to God.
P.S. Keep sending the money.
5 comments:
Wow. No wonder it took so long to achieve peace in Ireland.
Hope you had fun in the ole homeland there in the foothills of the Alleghenies. :-)
That has to be one of the best letters I've ever read; in fact, it sounds like it could have been part of "Angela's Ashes."
I love the greetings from the feeble-minded priest stuck in the middle of a letter filled with so many curses.
Thanks for sharing.
Wonderful letter. Reminds me a number of tales I heard while in my History of Ireland class years ago.
It also reminds me of my days reading the news of events in Ireland during the 70's & 80's.
What did the letter mean? I have a hand written letter of the same.
I really thought this letter was real! Can you tell me anything else about these letters?
This letter is actually a joke/scam. I have the very same letter, type written. I found it in a piece of my Irish grandfather's furniture. But apparently lots of people have this letter:
http://thompsongenealogy.com/2010/05/old-letter-is-probably-fake-but-still-makes-good-reading/
Sorry -- would have been much more fun if it were real.
Post a Comment