The Crumpled Letter beneath the cherry tree
Photo by Eithne Gallagher. The last surviving cherry blossom tree from Dillon’s garden.
The ‘Crumpled Letter Beneath the Cherry Tree’ is a short fictional tale (audio below) inspired by real events and imagined conversations between Anne Deane and Michael Davitt.
This piece is part of ‘The Cherry Blossom Tales’, an immersive creative non-fiction project created in collaboration with St. Nathy’s College. Rooted in Dillon’s Garden in Ballaghaderreen, the project weaves together storytelling, local history, folklore, and community memory to explore the legacy of Anne Deane — a local businesswoman and vital supporter of the Ladies Land League.
This tale invites Transition Year students of St. Nathy’s College to pick up the thread and continue the story through their own creative lens — through words, images, movement, or film.
Audio Story: The Crumpled Letter Beneath the Cherry Blossom Tree
In this story, we imagine a quiet but powerful moment between Anne Deane and Michael Davitt as they reflect on the disbanding of the Ladies Land League. Their conversation lingers beneath blossom-laden branches, just before a mysterious figure silently appears. He pauses... then leaves a crumpled letter at the foot of the tree.
The story ends not with answers, but with questions:
Who is this man? What has he overheard? And what secrets lie within the crumpled letter beneath the cherry tree?
We are delighted to announce that the students work will be exhibited at The Ballaghaderreen Arts Festival, 2025. Thank you to Patsy McGarry for such great encouragement and support.
Anne Deane and Michael Davitt. Straide.
Anne Deane is laid to rest near Michael Davitt’s grave at Straide Abbey, in one of Ireland’s finest medieval tombs. Her cousin, John Dillon (former Member of Parliament for East Mayo) commissioned her headstone, which was designed by renowned sculptor William Pearse, brother of Padraig Pearse.
This project is funded by Roscommon County Council Creative Ireland Programme 2025.
