Letter from Eoin McNeill to Bishop E. T. O'Dwyer, 18 April 1916 Letters 1916-1923 Eoin MacNeill

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This letter was written by Eoin MacNeill (1867 – 1945), to Bishop Edward Thomas O'Dwyer (1842-1917), who served as the Bishop of Limerick from 1888 until his death. MacNeill writes to the bishop in order to discuss governmental plans for the complete suppression of the nationalist volunteer movement in Ireland. Through the letter he wishes to draw O’Dwyer’s attention to certain provisions of the enclosed ‘Castle Document’ document. Early in April 1916 the IRB convinced MacNeill, a Gaelic scholar, nationalist, co-founder of the Gaelic League and founding leader of the Irish Volunteers, that a crackdown was imminent. They did this by producing a forged ‘Castle document’ (possibly based on genuine contingency plans). Only on Maundy Thursday, 20 April, did MacNeill discover that the IRB was using preparations for a general mobilisation on Easter weekend to bring about a rising on Easter Sunday. MacNeill initially acquiesced, but after discovering that an arms shipment sent from Germany had been sunk and that the Castle document had been forged, he sent out messengers issuing demobilisation orders. He followed this up with an advertisement in the Sunday Independent.

 Limerick Diocesan Archive LDA/BI/ET/M/1, LDA/BI/ET/M/1 https://letters1916.ie/item/634 English Eoin MacNeill 1916-04-18 2 Dawson Street, Dublin, Ireland Edward Thomas O'Dwyer Ireland Male Easter Rising Ireland 1916

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 Ógláic na h-Eireann, longport: 2 sráid dásúin, át cliat. THE IRISH VOLUNTEERS headquarters: 2 DAWSON STREET, DUBLIN. The Lord Bishoops of Limerick 18th April, 1916. My Lord, I beg to enclose details of a plan in the hands of the Government for the complete suppression of the Nationalist Volunteer Movement in Ireland, both Irish Volunteers & National Volunteers, by Military force. There are certain details of this plan to which I beg to draw special attention. Only Military forces are to be used, the police being withheld. The City of Dublin is to be placed in a state of siege. The inhabitants are to be confined to their houses, wholesale arrests, comprising several hundred persons in Dublin & throughout the Country, are to be made. All persons who could exercise disciplinary control over the Volunteers in general are to be placed under arrest. Various places in the City belonging to the Volunteers are to be seized by the Military, & in the measures to be used for that purpose carte blanche is given to the Military offficers, who are not merely empowered but directed to do whatever they deem necessary 'without reference to Headquarters.' In order to secure a free hand for the Military as long as these operations may last, the intervention of important citizens is specially guarded against. The Archbishop of Dublin is to be held a prisoner in his house, & forbidden all access to his clergy & people. The Lord Mayor is to be isolated in like manner. Any meeting of citizens, however few, is to be made impossible during whatever time the operations may last. The enclosed document is a copy of the original plan of the proceedings in the hands of the Government. I have the honour to be, my Lord, Your Lordship's obedient servant, Eoin MacNeill I have just learned that preliminary steps have been taken in pursuance of the plans statee. E MacNeill. The cipher from which this document is copied does not indicate punctuation or capitals. the following precautionary measures have been sanctioned by the irish office on the recommendation on the general officer commanding the forces in ireland all preparations will be made to put these measures in force immediately on receipt of an order issued from the chief secretarys office dublin castle & the forces in ireland first the following persons to be placed under arrest all members of the sinn fein national council the central executive irish sinn fein volunteeers general council irish sinn fein volunteers county board irish sinn fein volunteers executive committee national volunteers coisde gnota committee gaelic league see list three & four & supplementary list as two...................................................... ............ ........... dublin metropolitan police & royal irish constabulary forces in dublin city will be confined to barracks under the direction of competent military authority an order will be issued to inhabitants of city to remain in their houses until such time a competent military authority may otherwise direct or permit pickets chosen from units of territorial force will be placed at all points marked on maps three & four accompanying mounted patrols will continuously visit all points & report every hour the following premises will be occupied by adequate forces & all necessary measures used without need of reference to headquarters first premises known as liberty hall beresford place number six harcourt street sinn fein building headquarters/ volunteeers number two dawson street number twelve dolier street nationality office number twenty five rutland square gaelic league office number forty one rutland square foresters hall sinn fein volunteer premises in city all national volunteer premises in city trade council premises capel street surry house leinster road rathmines the following premises will be isolated & all communication to or from prevented premises known as archbishops house dromcondra mansion house dawson street number forty herbert park larkfield kimmage road woodtown part ballyboden saint endas college hermitage rathfarnham &in addition/ premises in list five d see maps three & four'. 2 Dawson Street, Dublin, Ireland Letter from William Pearse to Éamonn Bulfin, 21 April 1916Letter from William Pearse to Éamonn Bulfin, 24 April 1916Letter from Eoin McNeill to Bishop E. T. O'Dwyer, 18 April 1916Letter from William Pearse to Éamonn Bulfin, 21 April 1916 Ireland Letter from George A. Lyons to the Honorary Secretary of Sinn Féin, 5 April 1916Letter from Seán Mac Diarmada to Tom Clake, 5 April 1916Letter from Michael O'Riordan to Bishop E. T. O'Dwyer, 12 May 1916Letter from Eoin McNeill to Bishop E. T. O'Dwyer, 18 April 1916Letter from R. Barry O'Brien to Bishop Edward Thomas O'Dwyer, 12 February 1916Letter from Mairín Ní Ribhógh to James Ryan, 2 August 1916Letter from ‘One of the Hard Pressed’ to Mr. Samuel, 28 July 1916Letter from Emma Duffin to her aunts, 9 January 1916, Letter from Arthur to Bishop E. T. O'Dwyer, 14 January 1916Letter from Fr. C. F. Maher to Bishop E. T. O'Dwyer, 16 April 1916Letter from Michael O'Riordan to Bishop E. T. O'Dwyer, 23 October 1916Letter from Michael O'Riordan to the Right Rev. Monsignor Denis Hallinan, 23 October 1916Letter from Peter Mooney to his sister Katie Mooney, 4 February 1916.Letter from Father Willie Doyle S.J. to Fr Provincial Thomas V. Nolan, 25 January 1916Letter from Father Willie Doyle S.J. to Fr Provincial Thomas V. Nolan, 25 February 1916Letter from Father Willie Doyle S.J. to Fr Provincial Thomas V. Nolan, 31 December 1915Letter from Father Willie Doyle S.J. to Mai, 22 January 1916Letter from Father Willie Doyle S.J. to Mai, 11 February 1916Letter from MW O'Reilly to 'A Cara', 1 June 1916Letter from Francis M. Shaw to Fr Provincial Thomas V. Nolan, 1 March 1916Letter from Francis M. Shaw to Fr Provincial Thomas V. Nolan, 10 March 1916Letter from Nora Ring to Susan Daly, March 1923Letter from Douglas Campbell (later Major General Sir Douglas Campbell) to his sister Catherine Agnes Meta Campbell (later Wetherall), 28 October 1917Letter from William Upton Tyrrell to Victoria Mary Tyrrell, 19 November 1919Letter from Mary McDonagh to her daughter-in-law Annie McDonagh, early 1920 Edward Thomas O'Dwyer Letter from Michael O'Riordan to Bishop E. T. O'Dwyer, 12 May 1916Letter from Eoin McNeill to Bishop E. T. O'Dwyer, 18 April 1916Letter from C. Moran to Bishop E. T. O'Dwyer, 15 August 1916Letter from W. H. Grattan Flood to Bishop E. T. O'Dwyer, 15 September 1916Letter from R. Barry O'Brien to Bishop Edward Thomas O'Dwyer, 12 February 1916Letter from General John Grenfell Maxwell to Bishop Edward Thomas O'Dwyer, 6 May 1916Letter from General Sir John Grenfell Maxwell to Bishop Edward Thomas O'Dwyer, 12 May 1916Letter from Arthur to Bishop E. T. O'Dwyer, 14 January 1916Letter from Fr. C. F. Maher to Bishop E. T. O'Dwyer, 16 April 1916Letter from Fr. Peter C. Yorke to Bishop E. T. O'Dwyer, 26 June 1916Letter from Michael O'Riordan to Bishop E. T. O'Dwyer, 27 May 1916Letter from Michael O'Riordan to Bishop E. T. O'Dwyer, 10 June 1916Letter from Michael O'Riordan to Bishop E. T. O'Dwyer, 23 October 1916Letter from M. M. Carroll to Bishop E. T. O'Dwyer, 1 June 1916Letter from the Limerick City Regiment of the Irish Volunteers to Bishop E. T. O'Dwyer, 14 September 1916Letter from Bishop Edward Thomas O'Dwyer to General John Grenfell Maxwell, 17 May 1916Letter from Patrick Carey to Edward O'Dwyer, D.D., 29 November 1915 Eoin MacNeill Letter from George Gavan Duffy to Eoin MacNeill, 20 April 1916Letter from Eoin McNeill to Bishop E. T. O'Dwyer, 18 April 1916Letter from Eoin MacNeill to Éamon de Valera, 23 April 1916Countermanding order from Eoin MacNeill to regional commanders, 22 April 1916