23rd January, 1906

English ignorance of Ireland is unbelievable...

Ruth Duffin

Young poet documenting social life and travels

It was bitterly cold and very foggy […] we could scarcely see the lighted tramcars in the streets and my eyes and throat smarted dreadfully.*

The underground stations were like glimpses of the infernal regions […] Preserve me from politics – at least party politics – I’ve heard so much abuse of the Liberals that I’m half-inclined to turn Home Ruler […]

A Miss Blachet called the other day at the office […] I found she was Irish and we agreed that English ignorance of Ireland is unbelievable! […] I hope Ireland will never be wealthy and prosperous if it leads to places like London for business and Brighton for pleasure – sordidness on the one hand and vulgarity on the other.

* In London