Letter from Fr Eoin Mangan to Mary Ellen O’Rahilly, 18 May 1916. Letters 1916-1923 Eoin Mangan

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This is a letter to Mary Ellen (‘Nell’) O’Rahilly from Father Eoin Mangan concerning the death of her brother Michael. According to Mangan's letter, he shares a familial connection with the O'Rahilly's and is shocked that 'Mangan blood would become a victim of England's cruel tyranny'. Mangan goes on to praise Michael's involvement in such a 'high-souled a cause' and requests that she send him on a souvenir of Michael to carry with him. Additionally, Managan informs Nell that a friend of his will be travelling to America in the next week and that he would like to share the story of Nell's imprisonment following in Rising. In order to do so Mangan asks Nell a number of questions about her time as an internee. Michael Joseph 'The' O'Rahilly (1875–1916) was a nationalist and a journalist. In 1916 he aligned himself with Eoin MacNeill and Bulmer Hobson who opposed a preemptive rising. Although O'Rahilly played a large role in delivering MacNeill's countermanding order he felt obligated to stand with the men he recruited and trained. O'Rahilly was fatally wounded on the Thursday 27 April when the GPO was being evacuated. Nell was also involved in the Nationalist movement as a member of Cumann na mBan and was imprisoned after the Rising for her role.

 University College Dublin Archives Sighle Humphreys Papers, P106/121/4/2 https://letters1916.ie/item/132 English Eoin Mangan 1916-05-18 Clonard Monastery, Belfast, County Antrim, Ireland Mary Ellen O'Rahilly Easter Rising Ireland 1916

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 lig. Tá docus agam go mbord mí ábalta euorpt a tóbáirt obbaib- reann tamaill bin. Tampeall mo tuaispule ab Sile & mo ghra di uaig. e.u.m.cssr. I hope this will not be opened. Tell me if it be & I have a remedy E.M. Cm 18/5/16 Dear Nell When writing to Anna a few days ago I said that had I known your 'prison' address I would certainly have written to you. Now that you are again at large I cannot refrain from giving expression to my feelings in your regard. When growing up a boy at home little did I think, much less hope, that the day, the glorious day would come when one of my own birth and kin, one in whose veins flowed somewhat of the Mangan blood would become a victim of England's cruel tny tyranny for the love and the honour of dear Dark Rosalin. Thanks be to God I have lived to see the day. And from my heart I congratulate you dear Nell in being the privileged one destined by a wise and a good Providence to suffer for so noble, so grand, so magnanimous, so high - souled a cause. Dominic told me that he called on you and found you in the best of spirits although undergoing the direst of cruelties. Beannacht Dé i na magihde murte ort a capa Sil. While you were suffering I was praying God to cheer your desolate heart and strengthen your much tried nerve. I know too that your darling boy is far from you at this moment but the thought that he, like his brave uncle, is a willing victim to the same cruel law, will I am sure be a consolation to you. For him as for you all I pray every morning when I hold in my hands at mass the truest love of this nation that ever lived. Now Nell I am going to make two requests. the first is will you send me some souvenir of Michael. I don't care what it is provided it was his and used by him. Something that I can keep. not therefore anything of gold or of silver and nothing that would be too large for me to keep continually either on me or in my room. the second request is this. A friend of mine - a priest - a true Irishman and a I.V. is going to the U.S.A next week. I was telling him of the treatment you received in prison and asked him to make it known over the way. I am anxious to get information from yourself and if you wish it will keep your name secret. Would it be too much then to ask you drop me a few lines telling 1) How long you were imprisoned. 2) What sort of a room you had. Had you a bed; a chair etc. 3) What were the sanitary arrangements. 4) How you got your meals and the quality of them. 5) Were the officials civil in demanding information. 6) Did they give you any reason for the arrest. I hope I am not bothering you too much but I know that you love dear Granuaile and are ready to do anything to better her at this dark and saddest of hours. I am going from here next week; but if you write to St. Joseph's Dundalk the letter will be forwarded. Now for a wee bit of Gaelic. brod misreac agat a cara díl. Beid lá deat i gaol ag finse tar enocail na Eireann agat. Mo ghád agat Eoin Mangan Letter from Fr Eoin Mangan to Mary Ellen O’Rahilly, 18 May 1916.Letter from Eoin Mangan to Mary Ellen O’Rahilly, 9 May 1916 Clonard Monastery, Belfast, County Antrim, Ireland Letter from Fr Eoin Mangan to Mary Ellen O’Rahilly, 18 May 1916.