Letters from Sinéad de Valera to Fr. Albert Bibby OFM Cap., asking for a ‘national novena to the Sacred Heart’. She declares that she has ‘had a letter from Dev this morning. They have had no Sunday mass since they left Ireland. He served Mass on Corpus Christi but that was the only day they had Mass’. She relays De Valera’ request that luxury items such as sweets should not be sent to republican prisoners and suggests that ‘some little committee could be formed to collect the money which would otherwise be expended on postage …’. She adds ‘Please don’t let Eamonn’s name be associated with it as I know he would not like his remark about the luxuries to go around. He has a dislike to being considered a vaitin and his remark might be misunderstood’. In the letter of 24 May 1918 she refers to her anxiety over ‘the midnight raid and Saturday’s paper’. She added: ‘Dev is in Gloucester prison. I had a message from the Governor saying to send on some clothes’.
Letters from Nannie O’ Rahilly (wife of ‘The O’Rahilly’), to Fr. Albert Bibby OFM Cap., expressing her regret that a mass in honour of the rebels of 1916 could not be held in Church St. Friary ‘as you did so much for the men who died’. Later she added ‘Thank God we had the Mass at Mt. Argus, it was most touching and edifying and as you say the spirit was splendid, without any outward demonstration. So the priests who refused us might easily have had more courage’.
Letters from Kathleen Clarke (wife of Tom Clarke), 15 Barrington Street, Limerick, to Fr. Albert Bibby OFM Cap., mostly concerning family news. She also wrote: ‘Limerick does not agree with me. I am tired all the time here. I have an unsettled feel here too … . I find it hard to realise that my home and everything is gone, the only thing left is hope, and if our hopes for Ireland’s future are fulfilled the sacrifices will have been worth the making’. She also refers to Ernest Blythe: ‘We had hoped for better for him. I suppose he is left Arbour Hill by this and there would be no use in writing to him
Letters from J.H MacDonnell, solicitor, 3-7 Southampton Street, Strand, London, to Fr. Aloysius Travers OFM Cap., Church Street, Dublin, referring to his hopes for a settlement in relation to the release of Fr. Dominic O'Connor OFM Cap. He writes: ‘I think the Prisoners will be released during the negotiations. I know Bob Barton is very keen on the matter and as I am personally known to all of the delegates who are coming over, I shall press them to push this matter forward’. He also refers to improving conditions of Fr. Dominic’s confinement.
Letters from Fr. Dominic O’Connor OFM Cap. to May Barrett, Watercourse Road, Cork, referring to the execution of Captain Pat Moran in Mountjoy Jail (died 14 Mar. 1921). Fr. Dominic wrote ‘What a lot of my friends have gone down since I was last in Cork or indeed in Ireland’. He expresses the hope that ‘they’d make Irish compulsory for the Dáil as it would put an end to some of the … long winded speeches’. With a newspaper clipping of a poem titled ‘Subvenite’ by Father Dominic, Parkhurst Convict Prison, ‘written in Prison on hearing of the execution of Captain Patrick Moran and Volunteer Thomas Whelan, both of whom were fellow-prisoners with him in Kilmainham’. (16 Mar. 1921). In Irish and English.
Letters from Fr. Dominic O’Connor OFM Cap. to Fr. Paul Neary OFM Cap. reporting on his research on the early Irish Capuchins in continental archives including repositories in Troyes and Charleville, ‘home of the Irish Friars of former days’. Fr. Dominic affirms that ‘further communications would be safer if addressed to c/o Mr. Seán T. O Ceallaigh, Grand Hotel, Place de l’Opera, Paris’ (3 Dec. 1919).
Letters from Fr. Albert Bibby OFM Cap. to Fr. Augustine Hayden OFM Cap., referring to journey to the United States, from New York to Santa Barbara, California, his declining health and to the consolation he has found as his death approaches. On 25 Jan. 1925 Fr. Albert wrote: ‘I am gradually getting weaker and am preparing for end. … Fr. Dominic O’Connor OFM Cap. came here last night and will remain with me to the end. Tis a great comfort and joy to have him. He will do for me what he did for Terry McSweeney in Brixton Jail’. With a newspaper cutting from the Santa Barbara Daily News (21 Jan. 1925) containing an article with (photographic prints) of the Old Mission of Santa Ynez and ‘Padre Albert’.
Letters to Fr. Albert Bibby OFM Cap. from Eva Gore Booth, 33 Fitzroy Square, mostly referring to her sister Constance Markievicz, the East Clare by-election and to the publication of an article in the 'Catholic Bulletin'. With covers.
Letters from D. O’Callaghan, prisoner no. q 128, Portland Prison, to Fr. Albert Bibby OFM Cap., Church Street, referring to his health. The official letter states that O’Callaghan is in ‘bad health’ and notes that if he behaves well, shall ‘be allowed to write another letter about 19 Jan. 1918’. A letter M.H. Smith, medical officer, Portland Prison, reports that O’Callaghan ‘is in his usual health’. With cover
Letters from D. O’Callaghan, Lewes Prison, to Fr. Albert Bibby OFM Cap. concerning his prison conditions and to kindness shown to him by a Sister Bridget. He adds: ‘Duggan and Beasely were glad to hear from her and sends best wishes’. He later refers to his actions during Easter Week: ‘ … I done my best to conduct things to the best advantage for all, and if done a great deal of damage to property, it had to be done to insure the safety of the men that were in my charge. But I certainly say no unnecessary damage was done by us’. Reference is also made to his fellow prisoners G. Grofts and Jimmy Brennan. With an undated letter [c. Apr. 1917] from O’Callaghan referring to the deteriorating conditions endured by republican prisoners: ‘On Wednesday, the 9th some of the young fellows started kicking a rag ball at exercise and warder Birch picked it up most abruptly on the fooling day he had Boland charged with using insolent language. Boland got severely punished and on the following day we struck work. … Our experience is that the warders are incapable of making a correct statement about us. McEntee and I were charged with insubordination simply because we spoke on behalf of our comrades’.
