1
Seán T. à Kelly HeadQuarters Irish Repub- lican Gov. 24/4/16 Maurice
Collins
Report to Ned Daly
at Richmond and
release Hobson
Everything splendid. Seán Mac D.
This is a handwritten order from Seán MacDiarmada (1883-1916) instructing Maurice
Collins to report to Ned Daly (1891-1916) at Richmond Hospital and to 'release Hobson'.
Writer remarks 'Everything Splendid'. The provenance of the letter was endorsed by
Seán T. O'Kelly (1882-1966).Seán MacDermott (Seán Mac Diarmada) was one of the seven
leaders of the Easter Rising, 1916, and a signatory of the Proclamation. He was executed
by firing squad on 12 May, 1916. Maurice Collins was an I.R.B. Member. Along with
Michael Lynch he held Bulmer Hobson in a house in Cabra Park, Dublin until the Wednesday
of Easter Week, 1916, in order to prevent the spread of Eoin MacNeill's countermanding
order calling off the Rising. Seán T. O'Kelly (Ó Ceallaigh) was a founding member
of the Irish Volunteers. He was jailed in 1916 and escaped from Fairfield Prison in
England. He served as President of Ireland from 1945 to 1959. Ned Daly was commandant
of Dublin's 1st battalion during the 1916 Easter Rising. At 25 years old, he was the
youngest man to hold that rank, and the youngest executed in the aftermath. John Bulmer
Hobson was an Irish nationalist and a leading member of the Irish volunteers. In 1904,
he became a member of the Irish Republical Brotherhood (IRB). He was kept unaware
of the plans of the Rising; while he could detect some underground preparations he
was unable to find any evidence for it. On discovery of the plans for the Rising,
Hobson attempted to alert the other members of the Irish Volunteers; he was imprisoned
at gunpoint, and kept hostage while the Rising was underway. After the Rising, Hobson
went into hiding to avoid arrest, an action which hurt his future political prospects
and led to rumours that he was a traitor to the Volunteers and the IRB.