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A letter from Hugh A. McCartan, 4 Gifford Avenue, Sandymount, Dublin, to Fr. Henry Rope. MacCartan refers to the contemporary political situation in Ireland and to the Sinn Féin movement.

Letter from Lennox Robinson (1886-1958), 1 Clare Street, Dublin, to Fr. Henry Rope. Robinson writes ‘Things are very dark and distracted over here but not more than elsewhere I suppose. Perhaps, somehow, good may come but one often despairs of it’.

A letter from Shane Leslie (1885-1971) to Fr. Henry Rope. Leslie refers to the possibility of Father Rope publishing an article in the 'Dublin Review'.

A letter from William Frederick Paul Stockley (1859-1943) to Fr. Henry Rope. Stockley refers to the case of Alice Cashel imprisoned in Galway Jail. Stockley writes ‘She is in prison for six months. He sister says she loves to hear poetry. She is a distinguished graduate, and teacher, and a fine type. She knows Irish well’. Stockley suggests that Father Rope could send her a copy of his poetry.

A letter to William Frederick Paul Stockley (1859-1943) from Conn Mac Murchadha, Director, Sinn Féin Re-organising Committee, 15 College Green, Dublin, re an invitation to attend a public meeting. It is noted that that the ‘object of the meeting is to launch publicly the Republican civilian movement by reorganising Sinn Féin, the only Republican political organisation which is definitely pledged to the support of the Irish Republic’.

Letters from Fr. Henry Rope, Venerable English College, Rome, and Mount Carmel Lodge, Quidenham, Norwich, to Fr. Senan Moynihan OFM Cap. Rope affirms that he has ‘searched everywhere for the letters of Count Plunkett. He promises that he will send the same to Fr. Senan once he has retrieved them. He also confirms that he will send the letters written to him by Professor William Frederick Paul Stockley and his wife Germaine. He notes that he had ‘the great privilege of being their guest in October or November 1927 at Woodside, Tivoli, Cork’. He also refers to some letters of Professor William Stockley which he suggests Fr. Senan might like for the Capuchin Order’s archives. The file also includes a partial (two-page) listing of some of Father Rope's material deposited in the Irish Capuchin Archives.

Letters from George Noble Plunkett (1851-1948), 40 Elgin Road, Dublin, to Fr. Henry Rope. The letters include references to Plunkett’s desire to establish an ‘Academy of Christian Art’ in Dublin, Catholic literature, Father Rope’s visits to the Plunkett residence, and to contemporary political matters and public affairs in both Britain and Ireland. A recurring theme in the correspondence is Plunkett’s continuing republican opposition to the post-Treaty settlement in Ireland. An extract from a letter
written on 21 November 1929 reads:

‘I don’t want to write about politics, but I remind you that “if you want peace, you must prepare for war”; and, that a resolute nation, whose spokesmen refuse to accept threats, generally secures its liberty. We had won, when [Arthur] Griffith and [Michael] Collins surrendered: I have been assured of this by well informed unionists. I doubt that any man today is slave enough to echo John O’Connell’s dictum. “Nuff ced”, as the Yankees put it.
I think you asked me why we are for a Republic. Well, how otherwise could we get rid of a foreign King? And a “class” Upper House”? And the tradition of Heaven-born Ministers? We are republicans because we are a nation of aristocrats, and so all equal; a true democracy.
My pen is running dry.
Yours very sincerely,
G.N. Count Plunkett
To be continued in our next’.

The file also includes some letters from George Noble Plunkett’s wife (Josephine Plunkett née Cranny), and daughter Mary Plunkett. The letter from Mary Plunkett refers to the death of Count Plunkett. It reads ‘The poor old man was in bed for more than three years. We expected that he would go very quickly. Instead of that he was dying for twelve days. The poor old body was worn out, but that strong valiant spirit held on. He suffered a lot, so much that we prayed that God would take him. The end was very quiet’. (5 May 1948). A letter to Fr. Senan Moynihan from Fr. Henry Rope in this file refers to his donation of Plunkett's correspondence ‘for your Archives, which may also one day be of historical interest’. He also notes that he has given some of his correspondence with Count Plunkett to Saint Isidore’s College in Rome. (20 Dec. 1951)