File 1 - Letters from Grace Watt to Colum and Catherine Kenny.

Identity area

Reference code

IE DCUA C2/3/3/1

Title

Letters from Grace Watt to Colum and Catherine Kenny.

Date(s)

  • 21 September 1988-28 August 1994 (Creation)

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File

Extent and medium

21 items

Context area

Name of creator

(1881-1954)

Name of creator

(1919-1992)

Name of creator

(1951-)

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Scope and content

The majority of the letters are addressed to both Colum and Catherine Kenny, while some are only addressed to Colum. All letters are typed and signed, some include handwritten annotations. File also includes copy letters from George Muggeridge (Grace's brother) and Sir Garfield Barwick (friend of George Muggeridge). Watt often mentions that she has included photographs with the letters. Some of these photographs are included in files C2/3/3/6-8, but several are not included in the collection.

21 September 1988 – C2/3/3/1 (1)
Encloses photographs of the Muggeridge family at 1 Herbert Terrace, Herbert Road, Bray, County Wicklow in the 1920s. Also shares photos of her current home in Harrow, London, and of a recent trip to visit her brother George in Australia [photographs not included with letter]. Thanks Colum and Catherine Kenny for their welcome when Grace and her husband Jack (John) visited in the summer of 1988. Related photograph of George Muggeridge is included in this series [see item C2/3/3/6].

28 September 1988 – C2/3/3/1 (2)
Encloses photographs of their visit to 1 Herbert Terrace in 1988 [photographs not included with letter].

9 January 1990 – C2/3/3/1 (3)
Sends Christmas greetings and says: 'Delighted to hear of your recent encounter with Cyril Cusack (known to me as Cyril O'Rourke)' [sic]. Also mentions: 'My beloved brother George passed away on 16th Dec[ember 1989].'

19 September 1990 – C2/3/3/1 (4)
Includes a copy of letter she received from Cyril dated 17 September 1990. Writes to Colum Kenny: 'I had one of the nicest surprises of my life today and it was all due to you!'

5 November 1990 – C2/3/3/1 (5)
Gives details of Bray in the 1920s, family history of 1 Herbert Terrace, and moving back to England in 1926. Says that she is waiting to hear back from Cyril. Asks Colum and Catherine Kenny to confirm her recollections of Michael Collins' funeral.

6 February 1991 – C2/3/3/1 (6)
Thanks Colum and Catherine Kenny for Christmas cards and views of Bray. Mentions her admiration for Cyril and that she is a year younger than him. Encloses her last photograph of 1 Herbert Terrace.

11 December 1991 – C2/3/3/1 (7)
Mentions that she and Cyril have been writing to one another, but that they are struggling to find time to meet. Notes that she is going to be 80 years old in March.

11 January 1992 – C2/3/3/1 (8)
Thanks the Kennys for Christmas card and for informing the Watts about works to 1 Herbert Terrace. Reminisces about travelling abroad for past Christmases.

22 January 1992 – C2/3/3/1 (9)
Mentions that she has been reading Cyril Cusack's book of poetry Between the Acts and Other Poems.

12 August 1992 – C2/3/3/1 (10)
File consists of a letter from Grace to Colum Kenny, and photocopies of two letters between Sir Garfield Barwick and George Muggeridge. Grace's letter discusses her brother George in Australia and how she had previously sent him audio tapes recorded during her and Jack's visit to Ireland in 1988. According to the letter, George and his wife ['Val'] wrote to Val's sister and husband [Sir Garfield Barwick], and Grace encloses copies of their correspondence and notes that she has also sent copies to Cyril. Grace shares reminiscences about 1 Herbert Terrace and of Cyril and George being in the sea scouts as children.

In the letter from Sir Garfield Barwick, he tells George Muggeridge that he enjoyed the audio tape of Grace and John Watt's visit to Ireland very much, and tells George that he never told him why he decided to come to Australia. George writes back and shares details of his personal and family history. Discusses living in Bray briefly and the hardship his family experienced in Ireland: 'They [the Irish people] treated him [George's father] very badly, burnt down his shop and robbed him of equipment'. See also letter dated 20 September 1992 from Cyril Cusack to Grace Watt regarding these letters.

8 October 1992 – C2/3/3/1 (11)
Grace apologies for delay forwarding on Cyril's remarks about Colum Kenny's proposal to write an article on Cyril and Number 1 Herbert Terrace. Passes on Cyril's remarks from a letter to her dated 20 September 1992: 'That's alright, go ahead with whatever you may like to say, whether good or bad but not indifferent.' Notes that Cyril has said that he is going to retire soon and that he plans to write an autobiography.

7 March 1993 – C2/3/3/1 (12)
Thanks Kenny for sending on a draft of his writings on 'The History of Herbert Terrace, Bray' ('one of the loveliest surprises I have ever had'). Mentions that Cyril's wife [Mary Rose Cunningham] telephoned about trying to meet in London in March.

13 March 1993 – C2/3/3/1 (13)
Sends condolences on the deaths of both Colum and Catherines' fathers. Discuss the recession and how it is a challenging time to be raise a family. Grace says she has sent copies of Colum's History of Number 1 Herbert Terrace to her bother George's widow, Val, and to Val's sister [Norma ('Lady Barwick')] and her husband Sir Garfield Barwick.

13 October 1993 – C2/3/3/1 (14)
Thanks Kenny for passing on newspaper cuttings regarding death of Cyril Cusack. Discusses Cyril's health and references to this in his letters, his sense of humour. Grace notes that she got the impression from his letters that he lived alone. Mentions her friendship with her grand-nephew, Jim Hall, and his interest in the family's connection to Ireland.

27 October 1993 – C2/3/3/1 (15)
Discusses Colum Kenny's article in Bray People [published 15 October 1993] about Cyril, Grace and Number 1 Herbert Terrace [this article is included in this series, see file C2/3/3/9]. Discusses her willingness to give Colum the original letters from Cyril: 'I feel most strongly that you are the only person who understands my affection for Cyril.' Says she will add any necessary comments to letters. Discusses Cyril's life, saying it 'seemed to be a little but odd'. Reminisces about activities they got up to in Bray as children and her friendship with 'Mrs Sutton', a Bray resident.

[?18 November 1993] – C2/3/3/1 (16)
Undated letter, but sent on 18 November 1993 according to a handwritten annotation in pen on the first page of the letter [?by Colum Kenny]. Discusses that her husband Jack (John) had a transient stroke; how she hurt her foot while helping him, and their trip to the hospital. Also notes that she has forwarded on the letters and photographs she received from Cyril to Colum Kenny. Also included is the envelope in which the letters were originally contained.

7 January 1994 – C2/3/3/1 (17)
Two letters. Notes that the other letter of the same date gives him 'permission to donate Cusack correspondence to library' [?National Library of Ireland]. Also includes discussion of her getting a word processor; Colum's mother being unwell; Jack's transient stroke, and thanks Colum for forwarding on articles about Cyril. The second letter in the file details the transfer of ownership to Kenny of the letters Grace received from Cyril.

28 August 1994 – C2/3/3/1 (18)
Encloses photographs of Jack (John) and herself. Mentions that Jack recently turned 80 years of age; discusses his birthday celebrations; her grandnephew Jim Hall's travels in Malaysia and Indonesia, and their correspondence with one another.

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