Letter from Seán Heuston to Edward Walsh, 7 May 1916 Letters 1916-1923 Seán Heuston

This work was originally published by Maynooth University in Ireland in 2017. In 2026 this data, stored in a relational database was extracted and converted into this TEI/XML document.

 Austrian Centre for Digital Humanities Vienna, AT 2026

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This is a last letter written by revolutionary Seán Heuston (1891-1916) to his colleague at the Great Southern and Western Railway, Edward Walsh (d. 1935). In the letter Heuston writes that he is prepared to die, thanks all his 'railway friends' and asks Walshe to ensure that his mother gets any money owed to him. Also included is the covering letter sent by Major W.P. Lennon, the officer in charge at Kilmainham Gaol, enclosing Heuston's letter, the envelope, a note explaining the provenance of the letter and pass issued to Walsh to allow him to travel around Dublin after the Rising.Seán Heuston (1891-1916) was an Irish Volunteer and an Officer of Fianna Eireann. During Easter week and under orders from James Connolly, Heuston's garrison held the Mendicity Institution garrison for two days before surrendering. He was executed by firing-squad on 8 May 1916.

 Military Archives of Ireland Bureau of Military History Contemporary Documents, Seán T. O'Kelly Collection, BMH CD/95/2/4 https://letters1916.ie/item/86 English Seán Heuston 1916-05-07 Kilmainham Gaol, Inchicore, Dublin, Ireland Edward Walsh 62 North Circular Road, Dublin, Ireland Male Last letters before death Easter Rising Ireland 1916

The data in these XML files was generated based on a data dump from the Magellan database (https://github.com/Maynooth-Center-for-Digital-Humanities/Magellan). Each database record has been converted to a JSON file (https://github.com/letters1916static/letters-data/tree/main/json). The element section of the JSON file contains the TEI-encoded contents of the letters. The TEI XML has been cleaned and made well-formed using a Python script (https://github.com/letters1916static/letters-data/tree/main/src).

 Kilmainham Prison Dublin Sunday May 7. 1916 Dear Mr. Walshe Before this note reaches you I shall have said farewell to this Vale of tears and have departed for what I trust will prove a much Better World. I take this last opportunity of thanking you and all my railway friends for the kindness of the past years. I ask all to forgive me for any offences which I may have committed against them and I ask all to pray fervently for the repose of my soul. Whatever I have done I have done as a soldier of Ireland in what I believed to be my countrys interest. I have thank God no vain regrets. After all it is better to be a corpse than a coward. Won't you as a last favour see that my mother gets whatever assistance you can give in obtaining whatever salary is due to me and whatever regard is due from the Superannuation Fund? She will stand badly in need of it all Gratefully Yours S.J. Heuston Mr E. Walsh Sir Please find enclosed letter addressed to you by the late J.J. Heuston Your obedient servant, WS Finn Major Comdt Award Walsh Edward Walsh, Esqr. 62, North Cir Road, Dublin This letter of Heuston is to be given to the nation Josephine Walsh Given heustonto uncle This letter referred to by me was written by Seán Heuston to Edward Walsh, 64, North Circular Road, Dublin. in whose office at Kingsbridge Heuston worked. Edward Walsh died in 1935, the letter then came into the possession of his nephew John Henry Walsh, 8, Newenham Terrace, Cork. John Henry Walsh died in 1949 when the letter came into the possession of his wife Josephine Walsh, 8 Newenham Terrace, Cork Seán Heuston Letter from Seán Heuston to Edward Walsh, 7 May 1916 62 North Circular Road, Dublin, Ireland Letter from Seán Heuston to Edward Walsh, 7 May 1916 Kilmainham Gaol, Inchicore, Dublin, Ireland Letter from Seán Heuston to Edward Walsh, 7 May 1916Copy of letter from Patrick Pearse to his mother Margaret Pearse, 3 May 1916Copy of last letter and statement by Éamonn Ceannt, 7 May 1916