Letter in Irish from Elenor Butler to Daniel Corkery

A letter, written in Irish, from Eibhlín de Buitléir to Daniel Corkery complimenting his article (‘Poetry and the People’) published in the Irish Press, 1 January 1948. She also discusses the work of Kate Ann Fox, adding she considered sending copies of ‘Poems by a working girl’ and ‘Further poems by a working girl’ to Corkery for his opinion. She herself recommended their publication because they reflect the feelings of ordinary people. She mentions the poetess was born in Leitrim and now lives in Dublin, but longs for the glens of her childhood.

Transcription of letter:

49 Oaklands Park
Baile Áṫa Cliaṫ
Eanáir 9. 1948

Don Ollaṁ Doṁnall Ó Corcra M.A.

Beaṫa agus sláinte.

Ḃaineas an-ṫaiṫneaṁ as an alt ó láiṁ an Ollṁan i Scéala Éireann lá na haiṫḃliana.

Ar n-a léiġeaṁ dom ṫáinig an smaoineaḋ ċuġam go mb’ḟéidir go nglacfainn cead cóip de na dánta beaga sin “Poems by a Working Girl” and Further Poems by a Working Girl [by] K. A. Fox do ċur ċuige féaċaint an ḃfeicfeaḋ sé aon ṁaiṫeas iontu.

Mise do ṁol don ċailín na dánta do ċur dá ḃfoillsiú, óir ċonacṫas doṁ gur ḟoinsiġ siad as croiḋe an ġnáṫ-ṗobail.

As Co. Liaṫdruim don ċailín; aċ tá sí ag obair i mBaile Áṫa Cliaṫ óna hóige agus a croiḋe an t-am uile ins na gleannta mar ċaiṫ sí a hóige mar atá ráite aici féin i gceann de na dánta ( I. l. 14 ).

Tá súil láidir agam go ḃfuil an t-Ollaṁ go maiṫ agus guiḋim bliain ṁaiṫ ċuige agus a lán acu.

Mise aige go fírinneaċ,
Eiḃlín de Buitléir.

English translation:

49 Oaklands Park
Dublin
January 9, 1948

To Professor Daniel Corkery, M.A.

[Long] life and health [to you].

I took great pleasure in the article from the Professor’s hand in Scéala Éireann [The Irish Press] on New Year’s Day.

Upon reading it, the thought occurred to me that perhaps I might take the liberty of sending him a copy of those little poems, Poems by a Working Girl and Further Poems by a Working Girl [by] K. A. Fox, to see if he would find any merit in them.

It was I who encouraged the girl to have the poems published, for it seemed to me that they sprang from the heart of the ordinary people.

The girl is from Co. Leitrim; but she has been working in Dublin since her youth, with her heart all the while in the glens where she spent her childhood, as she herself has stated in one of the poems (Vol. I, p. 14).

I strongly hope that the Professor is well, and I wish him a good year, and many of them.

Yours sincerely [literally: I am his, truly],
Eibhlín de Buitléir.