Nostalgic Donegal Valentine's letter unearthed in county archives
Love was in the air in for "A Sinclaire"
A passionate 19th century St Valentine’s letter /poem has been discovered in Donegal County Archives.
Donegal County Archivist, Niamh Brennan, says the Valentines letter appears to be penned by a “A Sinclaire” and was found coincidentally in the lead up to Valentine's Day on Tuesday when they were undertaking routine archiving.
She explains: “We are not sure who A Sinclaire was or to whom the letter was addressed. This affecting love poem was found during routine cataloguing work in Donegal County Archives last week. was found in the collection of the Steele Nicholson family of Falmore House, Gleneely, Inishowen, which was donated to the Archives some years ago by Down Museum. The Steele Nicholsons were a wealthy family who owned property and land in Donegal and Down in the 19th century.”
The letter reads as follows:
My Dear Valentine
Thy image, lovely as the morn,
Appears in all I see
For nature in her fairest forms but beauty speaks of thee
Oh welcome love, it this be love, aught else it cannot be
To think that all my joy or woe finds sympathy with thee.
I love thee dear with all my heart, none else can I love but thee
My heart you have and yours I want from thee.
I am your affectionate admirer
A Sinclaire