Exhibition features war letters sent home to Swords

AN exhibition has opened in Swords which features letters sent home from the First World War by members of a local family.

Last Tuesday (June 10), in Fingal Local Studies and Archives in Clonmel House, Swords, newly-elected Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Mags Murray, launched the exhibition based on the First World War letters home of Lt. Col. Richard Hely Hutchinson to his family in Lissenhall, Swords, and Seafield, Donabate.

With the original letters, and many additional items, including photographs, the exhibition tells the story of two sons of Dublin County Sherriff and Justice of the Peace (JP), John Hely-Hutchinson, who were both serving officers in the British Army during the Great War.

While the eldest, Coote Robert Hely-Hutchinson served in England training new recruits, his younger brother Richard served at the Front between 1914 and 1918, was wounded three times, mentioned in despatches and awarded a Distinguished Service Order (DSO).

Fortunately, Richard was an avid letter-writer, and many of his original, pencil-written and uncensored letters survived among the 120 boxes of the family papers donated by the remaining descendants to Fingal Libraries in 2009. His letters to his mother, father, sister and wife Alice, provide detailed descriptions of life and conditions in the trenches of France and Flanders.

After the war, the older brother Coote took over the family estate, and was elected to Dublin County Council to represent Swords. He was very involved with St Ita’s Hospital, Portrane, and with the Council’s Agricultural Committee.

Professor Terence Dooley, NUI Maynooth, and archivist Colm McQuinn introduced the exhibition.

Chief executive of Fingal County Council, Paul Reid, a number of the recently elected county councillors and a large crowd of invited guests were in attendance.

The exhibition is now open and free to the general public. Fingal Local Studies and Archives is located on the 2nd Floor, Clonmel House, Forster Way, Swords. Enquiries to 01-8704496 or email archives@fingal.ie