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 P.J. McLoughlin & Co., builders and public works contractors, Ardnacassa, County Longford, re their work on the new Capuchin Friary and House of Studies at Ard Mhuire in County Donegal. Letter recipients include Fr. Conrad O’Donovan OFM Cap. and Fr. Nicholas O’Brien OFM Cap. Most of the letters are acknowledgments of payments received for contracted work on the building project.
Letters from P.R. Fitzgibbon, Registrar’s Office, St. Louis, Missouri, to Fr. Richard Henebry. The letters refer to some of the activities of the Gaelic League in the United States. Fitzgibbon addresses Henebry as ‘Dear Cousin’.
Letters to Fr. Flannan Downing OFM Cap., guardian, Holy Trinity Friary, from Robert McClement, auditor, 27 Marlboro Street, Cork, concerning income tax deductions from rents paid by the Capuchin friars and fees connected with his work for the Order in filing charitable exemption claims.
A bound volume containing original letters from Roger Casement to Fr. Richard Henebry. The volume has a gilt title to spine which reads ‘Roger Casement to Dr. Henebry’. The letters refer to the Irish national movement, the language revival, and contemporary political matters. Casement writes ‘You should get “United Irishmen” for Dec. 9th, this week’s issue – and read Griffith’s speech to the delegates of the National Council. He touches the right note I think – and the historic truth of the economical aspect of our country’s plight is sound’ (8 Dec. 1905). In another letter, Casement refers to James Ward who is imprisoned in Castlebar in County Mayo and to efforts to establish an ‘Irish training college – a school rather, for Ulster Irish and Ulster teachers’ (5 Feb. 1906). Casement added ‘Some one writing as “Sinn Fein II” wrote up your “Urbs Intacta” in the “United Irishmen” of 3rd March. It is a terrible pity Waterford should have so little Irish spirit. It was not ever thus’. A letter of 19 March 1906 refers to a ‘great concert’ in Covent Garden Opera House organised by the Gaelic League. He adds ‘I wish I could help you in Waterford. You must be in a shoneen place … The Catholic shoneen is far worse than the Protestant – for the latter there is a historical, or often recent justification and his environment has so acted on him that he thinks his very patriotism – such that it is – is rather British than Irish – for the Catholic shoneen there is no such legitimate excuse’. Reference is also made to the South Dublin election and to the libel action against Arthur Griffith. A letter of 16 Oct. 1907 refers to Casement’s subscription for Ring College (Coláiste na Rinne) in County Waterford which he sent to Henebry while he was in Brazil.
Letters from Samuel Francis Hynes, architect, 41 South Mall, Cork, to Fr. Jarlath Hynes OSFC regarding the design and installation of the altar and pulpit in the Church of St. Francis, Kilkenny. Fr. Hynes also refers to the design of the frames for the Stations of the Cross.
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 mainly from patrons forwarding subscriptions in favour of the Brigade. The file includes letters from Richard O’Shaughnessy, barrister, 3 Wilton Place, Dublin, to Fr. Mark McDonnell OSFC, Church Street, passing on his good wishes to the Boys’ Brigade. He claims that ‘the richer Catholics, and a large, a very large number of Protestants would be among its subscribers … if they only know the work it is effecting’.
Letters from the Most Rev. Adrian Mung'andu and the Most Rev. Raymond Mpezele, successive Bishops of Livingstone, to Fr. Bruno McKnight OFM Cap. and Fr. Anthony Boran OFM Cap. re the Franciscan House of Studies in Livingstone, concerns re the Capuchin commitment to ongoing pastoral work in the diocese, and the appointment of Fr. Philip Connor OFM Cap. as Episcopal Vicar in the diocese.
