Volume 6 1939~1941


Doc No.
Date
Subject

No. 55  NAI DFA 339/124

Letter from Joseph P. Walshe to Francis T. Cremins (Berne)
(239/116) (Confidential)

DUBLIN, 5 May 1941

Your minute No. 225 of the 5th February,1 concerning Mrs. James Joyce. I sent the gist of your report to Mr. Con Curran, 2 who had asked me to let him have any information we might receive about the family. I enclose a copy of his reply.3

Mrs. Curran was anxious to send £5 to Mrs. Joyce, but, as you know, the export of money to the Continent is prohibited. A relaxation of this regulation is normally made only in the case of persons abroad who are dependent on their relatives here, e.g., the students in the Irish College in Rome. We told the Currans that, if a number of people clubbed together and applied for permission to send money to Mrs. Joyce, we might be able to make a special appeal to the Department of Finance. But, as you will see from his letter, Mr. Curran is not hopeful that this can be arranged, and, in any event, we should have to be in a position to make a full disclosure to the Department of Finance of Mrs. Joyce's income.

I am afraid there is nothing more we can do at present. I am sure you will keep in touch with the family and let us know if they should be in real want.

[stamped] J. P. WALSHE

1 See No. 4.

2 Constantine ('Con') Curran (1883-1972), lawyer and historian; a life-long friend of James Joyce.

3 Not printed.