The last letter of Patrick Pearse (1879-1916) to his mother, Margaret Pearse (1857-1932). He writes, extremely perceptively that 'people will say hard things of us' but that in due course 'they will praise us. It was written on the morning of Pearse's execution, shortly after he received holy communion. It is clear that he does not realise his brother, Willie Pearse (1881-1916), was also arrested (and, indeed, would be executed the following day). Patrick Pearse was a writer, a teacher and one of the leaders of the Easter Rising, 1916. He was a key member of the IRB military council, a signatory of the proclamation of the Irish Republic (which he read outside the GPO). As president of the provisional government, it was Pearse who called the surrender. He along with 15 others, was executed shortly after surrender. Margaret Pearse née Brady was an Irish nationalist and dáil deputy. Of a strong nationalist background, she imbued her sons, Patrick and William, with her firmly held beliefs. Margaret was well aware of her sons’ intentions, she fully supported them as they left St Enda's at Easter 1916, sewing medals onto the clothes of the St Enda's boys before they marched to the GPO. Following the execution of her two sons, she adopted their cause wholeheartedly and saw it as her purpose do as she thought they would have done. She envisaged St Enda's as their lasting monument and reopened the college in the autumn of 1916 at Cullenswood House, Rathmines.