Hurley Family Emigrant Letters (Ref. U170)

U170/

6 January 1924 Letter from Denis Hurley, Carson City, Nevada to his niece Mary Hurley, Tawnies, Clonakilty, County Cork. He is glad her father is ‘spry and active and carrying his years well’. Brother Michael is not feeling well, but ‘is with kind people with whom he has made home for upwards of 30 years. His means are not large – Always laboring with the delusion that he would get rich by speculating in mining stocks. He never wasted or dissipated, nor was intemperate or immoral.’ Asks how England ‘affords a better field for teachers and nurses than old Ireland…Home rule and Ireland’s small population ought secure employment and prosperity…If they could only permit the dove of peace to settle over the land.’ In America, the condition of many farmers is bad and many have lost their farms. 2pp 25 March 1924 Letter from Denis Hurley, Carson City, Nevada to his brother John Hurley, Tawnies, Clonakilty, County Cork. He received the letter and a box with the ‘chosen leaf’, which had about perished. Notes ‘that wonderful organisation the Irish Free State army is restive and somewhat rebellious’ and that some members of the Dail are resigning. Hopes he wont hurt the feelings of his excellent correspondent (niece, Mary) by ‘censuring some men and measures in the dear Green Isle’. 2pp 21 July 1924 Letter from Denis Hurley, Carson City, Nevada to his brother John Hurley, Tawnies, Clonakilty, County Cork. He is ‘fairly well’ and taking medicine for a cough. Describes the lack of rain in Nevada and California, ‘not a shower in 4 months and only…4 inches since…last September’. Hopes Mary enjoyed her picnic at Youghal. If he was back in his younger days and had ample means and time he would visit Ireland and see ‘many of the historic and romantic places spoken of in song and story’, such as Inchadoney, the old abbey in Timoleague, Gougane Barra and Loch Inne. Mentions death of their Bishop who ‘was not mixed up with the turbulent doings of recent years. Too much politics in the world today and not enough of common sense and hard work’. He is glad De Valera is released, ‘It was a shame for Irishmen to be keeping such a man in prison’. 2pp

28 September 1924