1
Ross, Mountnugent Co. Meath Ireland July 29th 1916 Dear Madam, forwarding
enclosed petition —
I beg to state that
I have a son a 2nd
Lieut. in the 6th Leinsters.
2 nine of my sons
refused to join the
army owing to the
wholesale executions &
murders of my poor
misguided fellow Country men
in Dublin. To my
mind and I know my
2
Country men well —
better than any Englishman
does. The government
want to drive the
Irish into open revolt
- and damp the ardour
of our brave sons at
the front . If Roger
Casement is hanged,
England will get no more
of my sons — and I have
9 — and I will be heartily
sorry that a son of mine
should fight & die for
vindictive England I may say that I am in favour of the Allies
& have spoken in several
recruiting platforms tick Yours respectfully William Ahern J.P.
3
My son 2 cousins and
4 nephews — 17 of my
workmen are in the
army— all joined since
the war began — and
all because they believed
it was in Ireland's best
interests —I may say
that there is not a drop
of blood in my veins
but Fenian blood and
my wife is the daughter
of a Fenian — we have
14 children —what does
England want? Does
she want us to rear a
new generation of rebels?
She lies in her own hands
W.A.
This letter was sent along with a petition for the reprieve of Sir Roger Casement
(1864-1916). William Ahern, an Irish father, farmer, and stone cutter of County Meath,
is upset over England's recent executions of his fellow Irish countrymen. He claims
he had two of his nine sons in the army, but others refused to join, due to England's
recent actions. He warns England will incite a full rebellion in Ireland and also
that England will not get any more of his sons.Sir Roger Casement was a humanitarian
and Irish Nationalist. Casement believed that an Irish insurrection would be crushed
unless it received substantial assistance from Germany. He spent eighteen months in
Germany, arriving first as an envoy of Irish-American leaders, attempting to encourage
Germany to support Irish separatist aspirations by providing arms. Casement succeeded
in securing limited German support but his attempt to form a brigade of Irish soldiers
in German prisoner of war camps to fight against Britain was largely unsuccessful.
When it became clear that adequate help would not be forthcoming he travelled to Ireland
by submarine. Casement landed and was arrested at Banna Strand, County Kerry on Good
Friday 1916. He was tried in the Old Bailey for treason and subsequently executed
by hanging at Pentonville Prison on 3 August 1916.