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The Monica Roberts Collection contains mainly letters she received from Irish Men fighting on the Western Front during World War 1. However two Belgian soldiers also correspond with Monica Roberts, writing in both French and English.  Library Assistant, Finola Frawley has transcribed and translated these letters, and provides us with an insight in their remarkable subjects and contents.Sepia photo of Freddy Berckmans (standing) & José Verachtert (seated). Ref: DCLA/RDFA.01.08.039AFreddy Berckmans serving in D44 2/I of the Belgian Army and writes approximately 17 letters to Monica which span from May 1914 until 24 January 1918 . The letters are mainly written from the Belgian Front, though he was only 17 at the outbreak of World War 1 and was initially in training.  His family and Monica Roberts’ know each other socially and he frequently refers to friends they have in common. He addresses her in the formal “vous” showing respectfulness. The tone is one of affection, humour and deep appreciation for presents she sends to him by post – butter scotch, air pillow, sardines, fountain pen, watch, (pen and watch were both later stolen), pipe & tobacco, writing paper, knife, electric light, inkstand, waterproof clothing, chocolates, cigarettes. A friend they have in common is a Mrs Conner who lives sometimes in Bradford, sometimes in London, and whose delicate health is often mentioned. Freddy’s mother, like Monica Roberts, sings and participates in concerts in aid of the war effort and this is also referred to.In one of his early letters, Freddy gives a breakdown of his 24-hour shift on guard duty, 4 x blocks of 6 hours: 2 hours’ guard followed by 4 hours’ rest from 5 p.m. to 5 p.m. the following day. He is also doing his telephonist exam in order to go to the Front hoping Monica will keep his confidence and not tell his mother.  (31 May 1914, RDFA1.05.004)Studio Photo DCLA/RDFA1.09.018 of Freddy Berckmans sent to Monica Roberts. Ref. DCLA/RDFA1.09.018A (click to enlarge)By late summer 1916 his battery of artillery using four ‘105’ cannons are almost ready to go to the Front & he is very gung-ho saying, “I am very happy to be going to the Front to defend our dear little Belgium… I will never forget my promise to you – the head of the Kaiser, sitting over the piano in your living room while I sing ‘Are we Downhearted? No!’” (21 July 1916 RDFA1.05.007) The Belgian and British battalions in the Somme area seem to hit it off quite well and Freddy makes frequent references to ‘the Tommies’, ‘We are much better off here [St. Quentin] than in Eu. The food is much better produced by the chefs of the Front who have come to meet us. They talk to us like friends and are very nice. We have been wearing khaki for one week now, just like the Tommys’ [translation]. (21 July 1916 RDFA1.05.007)The learning and singing of English songs plays an important part in Private Berckmans’ leisure time, “I learned two more English songs. (Little gray home in the west) and another rag time” [30 October 1916 RDFA1.05.012] and ‘my friend [José Verachtert] shall be very pleased to get some news of you, we sing all our songs together, and he speak English very well” and ‘I should like to learn ‘Yacka Hula Hickey Dula’ [Hawaiian Love song written 1916] and ‘But you can do me a great pleasure in sending me the couplets of "Long, long trail" I got only the chorus, and I want to know it entirely’ [20 October 1917  RDFA1.05.015].A letter written 24/01/1918 giving the address as 55 Upper Mount Street, Dublin with Freddy’s signature but written by fellow soldier & friend, José Verachtert shows the two soldiers’ much anticipated wish to visit Dublin when their next leave came through was fulfilled, ‘I shall of course pay you a visit when I am leaving Dublin I think next week anyway I shall write you the day I shall be able to do so’ [translation]. Interestingly the listing in Thom’s Street Directory for years 1917 & 1919 for that end of Upr Mount Street ran: Nos. 55-61, “Vacant”. No. 62, “Belgian Refugees’ House”.The last we hear of Freddy is a reference to him in a letter written by José Verachtert to M.R., ‘‘Heard accidentally, Freddy's going soon for the Brigadier's examination. Hope he will succeed.’ [12/09/1918].José Verachtert wrote 30 letters to Monica Roberts between July 1917 and January 1919. Born in approximately 1894,  Verachtert is a despatch rider in the Belgian army who has spent enough time in London to speak & write English quite well. His family business was destroyed when the German army bombarded Antwerp causing the death of his father. In one letter he gives a ‘small report from the past few days’ in order to give a glimpse into life of a solider.  He describes vividly the destruction of a pretty Belgian village by German shelling from 17th to end of July 1917 with entries such as ‘July 28th.  Afternoon  Mighty bombardment during many hours with heavy shells; (one of them exploded four yards from the place where Freddy and I were working; we got a lot of ground etc. upon us. It was rather an very unpleasant feeling, to be buried alive!’  (29 July 1917 RDFA1.08.005)Sepia photo of Freddy Berckmans (standing) & José Verachtert (seated). Ref: DCLA/RDFA.01.08.039A (click to enlarge)He speaks a lot of the boredom of the trenches and suffers from depression, common to many soldiers on returning to the Front after being on Leave. He is also frequently worried about what he will do after the war and doesn’t want to be a burden to his widowed mother who is on the Germans’ watch list, she ‘is subjected to a special watch as they [the Germans] suspect her for having helped young men to join the army’. (19 October 1917 RDFA1.08.018)22/11/1917, He gives a run-down of his daily routine, ‘After wake-up which is at 7 a.m. there's breakfast; work from 8 o'clock to 11.30; then rest and dinner. At one o'clock potato peeling. At 1.30 tea break. Work from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m. Supper & wash to freshen up. Then studies begin. Military classes, dry & tiring classes. I have already sat & passed the brigadier's exam and am preparing slowly for other exams’.And speaking of his friend in the same letter, ‘Freddy & I have been meeting up quite a bit this past while. Thanks to him my mood is still up-beat. He is a very dear friend and I love him like a brother.’In his last letter dated 31/01/1919 José says he is living in Anvers, but does not say if he has found a job. However he must have some means as he plans to go to London at the weekend.

A long, long alphabetical list of 174,000 Allied soldiers who died on Belgian soil in the First World War; this is the new and emotive exhibit on display in Dublin City Library and Archive on Pearse Street until the end of March 2017.

The garden suburb of Marino was the first in Ireland and one of the earliest in Europe. It is located on the north side of Dublin City. This small garden village is unusual insofar as it was requested by the people themselves, at a public meeting held in Clontarf Town Hall in 1910. The historic village of Fairview was being redeveloped and the reclamation of land at the nearby Strand was underway in order to provide a public park.

(Podcast) 'Gentlemen’s Daughters in Dublin Cloisters: The social world of nuns in early 18th century Dublin', the 20th Annual Sir John T. Gilbert Lecture, was given by Dr Bernadette Cunningham, Royal Irish Academy at the Dublin City Library and Archive on Wednesday, 25 January 2017.

The following is a transcript of the twentieth Annual Sir John T. Gilbert 20th commemorative lecture, 'Gentlemen’s daughters in Dublin cloisters: The social world of nuns in early 18th-century Dublin', given by Bernadette Cunningham at Dublin City Library & Archive on 25 January 2017.

Jonathan Swift purchased his garden in 1722 and named it ‘Naboth’s Vineyard’; the name taken from the Bible (1 Kings 21). This garden was situated south of the Deanery of St Patrick’s and originally consisted of a large open field on the south side of Long Lane. In the summer of 1724 Swift spent £600 enclosing the field with a wall to protect his horses; a considerable sum which he afterwards claimed ‘will ruin both my health and fortune, as well as humor.’

Jonathan Swift was one of the most renowned authors of his day, well known in literary circles in Great Britain and Ireland, and an encourager of fledgling writers.

At the end of the 1720s Jonathan Swift was at the height of his literary powers, he had published the best-selling Travels into several remote nations of the world by Lemuel Gulliver (Gulliver’s travels) in 1726, which had run to many editions by the end of the decade, he had written extensively on Irish affairs and was a household name in Dublin and London. Swift was well connected in the literary and social world, he was a friend and correspondent of poet Alexander Pope, and dramatists John Gay and William Congreve.Image right: Engraved portrait of SwiftHe kept up to date with literary trends and purchased books by contemporary authors. In 1728 a young French author living in London published a new version of his historical poem in French, called La Henriade, written in praise of King Henri IV of France.  François Marie Arouet de Voltaire (1694-1778) published his poem by subscription and the subscription list reveals his important patrons and supporters. Swift was a friend and correspondent of Voltaire’s, they were probably introduced by their mutual friend Alexander Pope. When Swift intended to visit France in June 1727 Voltaire wrote letters of introduction to the Comte de Morville, secretary of state, and Monsieur de Maisons, ‘both desirous and worthy of yr acquaintance’. Voltaire was an admirer of Swift’s work and in 1728 he wrote ‘the more I read your works, the more I am ashamed of mine’. (The correspondence of Jonathan Swift edited by Harold Williams)La Henriade title page (click to enlarge)In December 1727 Voltaire had written to Swift requesting him to encourage Irish readers to subscribe to the forthcoming publication, ‘can I make bold to intreat you to make some use of yr interest in Ireland about some subscriptions for the henriade, which is almost ready and does not come out yet for want of little help the subscriptions will be but one guinea in hand’. This was an expensive purchase, but many Irish subscriptions were gathered by Swift. By March 1728 La Henriade was published, Swift is listed as a subscriber to the book as is George Berkeley, William Congreve, Lord Carteret, the Lord Lieutenant, and many of the nobility and gentry of Great Britain and Ireland. Swift was well able to read French and some of his correspondence is in French. He spoke in French with the Huguenot clergy who ministered from the Lady Chapel in St Patrick’s Cathedral.List of subscribers to La Henriade including Rev. Dean Swift (click to enlarge)When Swift’s library was sold after his death in 1745 La Henriade is among his collection, as well as Voltaire’s An essay upon the civil wars of France, translated into English and published in Dublin in 1728, and The history of Charles XII, King of Sweden, published in London in 1732.An Essay upon the Civil Wars of France by Voltaire (click to enlarge) The Swift and Dublin exhibition will run in the Dublin Room at Dublin City Library and Archive, Pearse Street until 25 February 2017.See Also:Jonathan's Swift's gardenJonathan Swift's LibraryJonathan Swift: freeman of DublinThe Swift and Dublin exhibition will run in the Dublin Room at Dublin City Library and Archive, Pearse Street until 25 February 2017.

It’s never too early to introduce your child to a love of books. Dublin City Libraries holds a vast array of books suitable for all ages, even newborns!

It’s never too early to introduce your child to a love of books. Dublin City Libraries holds a vast array of books suitable for all ages, even newborns!