An Anti-Treaty handbill comprising a poem with a constant refrain asking ‘Who killed Cathal Brugha?’ who died in fighting on O’Connell Street in July 1922. It reads: “Who killed Cathal Brugha?” “I” said Mick Collins, With a toss of his head Tis well he is dead I killed Cathal Brugha. The second stanza contains a similar refrain in respect of General Richard Mulcahy.
An Anti-Treaty handbill (black type on buff coloured paper). Text on recto reads: (on left-hand side) ‘“Yesterday the RIC were Irishmen who took (includes image of a hand pointing to the following line in bold type in centre of handbill) "Guns and Orders from England". (On right-hand side) "To-day Free-State soldiers are Irishmen who take (includes another image of a hand pointing to the same line in bold type in centre of handbill) "Guns and Orders from England / in order to / Shoot down Republican Soldiers / Destroy Republican Printing Presses / Raid the homes of Irish Republicans / Fire on Irish Prisoners in the Jails / Fill the Jails with Irish Volunteers / Wage economic war on the Dependants / of the Irish Republicans. / You did not Join the Irish Volunteers for this. / (in larger font and bold type) Don't be any longer Blind. The Men against you are Fighting without / Pay for the Old Cause which/ will NEVER DIE”’.
A pamphlet written by Laurence Ginnell (1854-1923) who opposed the Anglo-Irish Treaty that was ratified by the Dáil in January 1922. He was elected as an anti-Treaty Sinn Féin TD for the constituency of Longford-Westmeath at the 1922 general election on the eve of the Civil War. Imprint date based on p. 4. With typescript letter from Ginnell to the Most Rev. Edward Byrne, Archbishop of Dublin, referring to the ‘murder gang’ employed by the Free State Provisional Government. 14 Sept. 1922.
A pamphlet referring to the redraft of the Treaty by Ėamon de Valera titled a ‘Proposed Treaty of Association between Ireland and the British Commonwealth’ or more commonly known as ‘Document No. 2’, presented to Dáil Eireann in January 1922. Imprint date from p. [7]. Additional text on p. [3] of printed wrapper. The text is printed side by side in columns.
A handbill in the form of an ironic attack on the Free State leaders. This Anti-Oath flyer quotes the articles in the Free State constitution which refer to allegiance to ‘the King’ and refers to Kevin O’Higgins’ support for them.
The fonds consists of the correspondence and papers of Capuchin friars detailing their involvement with participants in the national struggle. The majority of the material dates from 1916-1925 and includes many records highlighting the roles played by Irish Capuchins in ministering to republican leaders and their relations. Of particular interest is a large collection of prison letters including the correspondence of some of the leading figures of the Irish Revolution. The fonds also contains a large collection of republican publicity material, newspapers and miscellaneous items of ephemera and artefacts mostly relating to the military and political campaign organised by nationalists for Irish independence. A smaller collection relating to the repatriation of the bodies of Fr. Albert Bibby OFM Cap. and Fr. Dominic O’Connor OFM Cap. from the United States to Ireland in 1958 is also extant.
Copy letter from Fr. Albert Bibby OFM Cap. The typescript copy notes that the original ‘belongs to L.T. Langley, 164 Iveragh Road, Gaeltacht Park, Whitehall, Dublin. The letter is incomplete, and no indication is given of the person to whom it is addressed’. The letter provides an account of the ‘closing scenes of Sean Heuston’s life’. Fr. Albert contends that ‘shortly after Easter Week, 1916, I gave a rather full account for publication in the Catholic Bulletin, but owing to the Censor’s restrictions it could not appear in print’. The letter reads: ‘At about 3.45 A.M. a British soldier knocked at the door of the cell and told us time was up. We both walked out together down to the end of the Jail yard; here his hands were tied behind his back, a cloth tied over his eyes and a small piece of white paper, about 4 or 5 inches square, pinned to his coat over his heart’. Reference is also made to Fr. Augustine’s Hayden’s ministry to Ėamonn Ceannt and Michael Mallin.
Letters from William Partridge to Fr. Albert Bibby OFM Cap. giving an outline of his career mostly in the labour and union movement under James Larkin. Partridge was among those rebels who surrendered at St Stephen’s Green in 1916. He was subsequently sentenced to ten years’ penal servitude and sent to Dartmoor and afterwards to Lewes Prison. He was released due to ill-health and returned to Ballaghadreen in County Mayo, but died on 26 July 1917. He refers to his physical condition in some of the correspondence. He writes ‘Please excuse scribbling as my sight got bad in prison and I have not yet got glasses’. With his memorial card and a newspaper cutting of his obituary notice. The file also includes a letter (probably from his brother, Felix Partridge) referring to his last days and thanking Fr. Albert for his words of sympathy.
