File 4 - Letters from William Frederick Paul Stockley

Letters from William Frederick Paul Stockley (Woodside, Tivoli, Cork, and Dún Meadon, Cork), to Fr. Henry Rope. The letters include references to Catholic literature and spirituality, the Gaelic League, academia, and the writings of various authors. Some of the letters refer to the contemporary political situation in Ireland (including discussion of the treatment of Irish political prisoners) and to events in Europe. One of the letters (17 Mar. 1921) 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. The file also includes letters to William Frederick Paul Stockley from Patrick O’Byrne, (Corville, Roscrea, County Tipperary), Mary Corkery, Mary MacSwiney (Máire Nic Shuibhne), Richardson Evans (11 Holland Villas Road, Kensington, London), Monica Rafferty, and Dr. Bernard O’Connor (Old Square, Lincoln’s Inn, London) and 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’ (11 July 1923).
It appears that Fr. Henry Rope later annotated most of the letters with date ascriptions.