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Hon. Michael J. Ryan.
19, Herbert street, 20.7.1924.
Dublin.
My dear Mr. Ryan:-
You will remember that with your letter of May 14th,
°1923, you remitted a sum of B700.6.6 to Countess Plunkett, Mrs
Ss. T. O'’Ceallaigh and myself, being balance of Easter Week re-
lief fund raised in Philadelphia, to distribute to the needy,
regardless of politics, according to the intention of the donors.
The money earned £2.17.5 interest in bank, so that
the total was increased to B705.5.11; of that sum we distrib-=
uted in the Summer of 1923 #180.0.0,
in the Autunn of 1925 £430.0.0
and in Winter 192594 B 93.35.11: Total R7035.3.11.
After protracted enquiries, I was able to find one
person only who was a 1916 mother and destitute; the other
funds raised at the time and the White Cross since had seen
to practicelly all. the surviving cases, between them.
Accordingly the people generally selected for help
out of the Philadelphia funds were large families of small
children of 1916 men and aged mothers of 1916 men, where we
found there was ea hard struggle: for existence, though not
necessarily destitution, due to the death or long inprison=
ment of. the breadwinner, (father, husband, brother), a 1916
man. This. seemed the best way to actin the spirit of the.
donors and I need not say-that we did not let political con-
siderntions influence us. ‘fe did not give where the case was
covered by the White Cross, which has ao splendid fund: to educ-=
ate the children of men who have died for Ireland in and since
1916.
We distributed the money nearly all in small sews;
the donations varied from B80 in one case and 825 and. 420 in
a few cases to B10, B8, and BS in very many cases; these
small sums were often a great boon to poor people with large
families, helping them to pay off pressing debts and relieve
a difficult situation, pending the receipt of other relief
or the enlargement of the breadwinner, always of course a 1916
mene
UY. otceallaigh bore the brunt of the work, which
was troublesome, because of the difficulty of tracking out
people and the number who wanted and merited help but had no
1916,claim, so that they had to be eliminated; she has the
receivts and can send:them to you, if you want them; we are
greatly indebted to her for her tireless labours in the mate
ter. Last Winter and last Autumn were very hard for all
but the well to-do in Dublin, so that the Philadelphia funds
came at a very. opportune moment and were a godsend to many
very deserving people.
I an, dear ir. Ryan, with cordial good wishes,
very truly yours,
(signed) | G? GAVAN DUFFY.
: G. Gavan Duffy.