How charming is that?

Inside an Air Mail envelope, a handwritten letter. From Irish cousin to American cousin, yet with a rather formal salutation.

Grandma must have loved it! Of course she did; she saved it. Then Mom saved it.

And now I’ll share it:

My Dear Mrs. Cassidy,

You must forgive me for not answering your letters, I do trust this note will make up for my mistacks.

I was sorry to hear of your mother’s death. R.I.P., too bad she never came back to Greenhill, I’m quite shure she often saw it her dream’s. Well all I can say is I trust: She, and all the one’s that are gone, are watching us from Heaven and awaiting us all going there.

President Kennedy’s death R.I.P. must have been an awful shock to you American people, we here in Ireland were tutched, yes more than tutched, that such a thing could happen, or shall I say, had to happen.

Betsy Regan has got married when you are writing her, tell her, we all wish her God’s blessings and prosperity in her new life. None of my family have got that length yet, although it could happen very soon. It’s an old saying: where there is smock, there must be a fire. I married myself and I never regretted doing it.

Betsy’s sister was to Europe, and visited some parts of Ireland, too bad she didn’t call at Antrim it must have been a nice holiday and I am glad she enjoyed her trip.

Your son must be clever.

He did not tach after us Kelly’s to be clever. I know for me I was always at the bottem of the class.

Now Cecelia as Christmas is drawing near, or perhaps by the time this letter gets your length it will be over, all that remains for me to say is that it has or will be a holly and happy day, for you all.

Best wishes from your Mothers homestead, and Willie Kelly.

May God Bless you all.

The date on Willie’s letter was the 14th of December, 1963. Air mail, from Toomebridge, County Antrim, Northern Ireland to New Haven, Connecticut. From Willie Kelly to his cousin Cecelia Regan Cassidy. His father and her mother were siblings back in what is now Northern Ireland.

Here’s that Christmas card from Ireland, carefully preserved for 62 years. The glitter still holds fast!

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