Letter from General Sir John Grenfell Maxwell to Bishop Edward Thomas O'Dwyer, 12 May 1916 Letters 1916-1923 John Grenfell Maxwell

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This letter was written by Sir John Grenfell Maxwell (1859-1929) to Bishop Edward Thomas O'Dwyer (1842-1917), who served as the Bishop of Limerick from 1888 until his death. Maxwell had been appointed commander-in-chief of the British forces in Ireland during the Easter Rising and was responsible for the suppression of the Rising. In this letter Maxwell urges O'Dwyer to prevent priests from 'mixing up in organisations that are a danger to the realm.' This letter refers specifically to the activities of Fr Michael Hayes (1873 - 1934), and Fr Thomas Wall (1877 - 1956). Bishop O'Dwyer would later become renown for his letter to Maxwell on 17 May in which he denounced the shooting of the insurgency leaders of Easter Week 1916 ‘in cold blood’ and the deporting of thousands without trial. He declared Maxwell's regime ‘one of the worst and blackest chapters in the history of the misgovernment of this country’.

 Limerick Diocesan Archive LDA/BI/ET/239/1/3, LDA/BI/ET/239/1/3 https://letters1916.ie/item/640 English John Grenfell Maxwell 1916-05-12 Irish Command Headquarters, Parkgate, Dublin, Ireland Edward Thomas O'Dwyer Limerick, Ireland Male Politics Easter Rising Ireland 1916

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 Headquarters, Irish Command, Parkgate, Dublin. 12th: May, 1916. My Dear Lord Bishop, I beg to acknowledge the letter of May 9th. from Your Lordship's Secretary. Father Thomas Wall has been reported as on 14th November, 1915, speaking in his Church at DrumCollogher against conscription. He is said to have attended a lecture by P.H. Pearse on the 'Irish Volunteers of '82,' and of blessing the Colours of the Irish Volunteers at DrumCollogher on 2nd:January, 1916, also speaking at a meeting that took place at Newcastle West on the 17th: March, 1916. Father M. Hayes is said to have been active with a certain E. Blythe organizing Irish Volunteers. In November 1915 he got printed a large number of leaflets appealing to young men of the Gaelic Athletic Association to join the Irish Volunteers. He is said to be President of the Irish Volunteer Branches at Killoughteen and Newcastle West. He is said to have been present at the Irish Volunteer meeting at Newcastle West when a certain John MacDermott delivered inflamatory and seditious speeches on 17th March, 1916. When I wrote to Your Lordship on the 6th., I hoped that you would have been able to take steps to prevent priests from mixing up in organizations that are a danger to the Realm. The Most Rev: Edward T. O'Dwyer, D.D. Bishop of Limerick. If these reports be true, and it should not be necessary for me to make definite charges supported by evidence against these priests whom I imagine will not deny their participation in the Irish Volunteers movement which has led to such deplorable events all over Ireland. Therefore it should not be difficult for your Lordship, under such disciplinary power as you may possess, to prevent at any rate priests from mixing up with and inciting their flock to join an organization such as the Irish Volunteers have proved themselves to be. I beg to remain, My Dear Lord Bishop, Yours very truly, J. G. Maxwell Limerick, Ireland Letter from Stephen Purcell to Anna O'Rahilly, 24 December 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 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 William M. Nolan to Robert Chalmers, 2 June 1916Letter from Kate O'Donnell to Dr Edward Thomas O'Dwyer, 10 June 1916Letter from the Limerick City Regiment of the Irish Volunteers to Bishop E. T. O'Dwyer, 14 September 1916Letter from G. Craig to J. S. Gaffney, 20 June 1916 Irish Command Headquarters, Parkgate, Dublin, Ireland Letter from Colonel F. M. Taylor to Alderman Thomas Kelly, 13 June 1916Letter from Captain T. C. R. Moore to Alderman Thomas Kelly, 15 July 1916Letter from General John Grenfell Maxwell to Bishop Edward Thomas O'Dwyer, 6 May 1916Letter from James O'Shea to John Grenfell Maxwell, 9 May 1916Letter from General Sir John Grenfell Maxwell to Bishop Edward Thomas O'Dwyer, 12 May 1916Letter from Bishop Edward Thomas O'Dwyer to General John Grenfell Maxwell, 17 May 1916 John Grenfell Maxwell Letter from General John Grenfell Maxwell to Bishop Edward Thomas O'Dwyer, 6 May 1916Letter from James O'Shea to John Grenfell Maxwell, 9 May 1916Letter from General Sir John Grenfell Maxwell to Bishop Edward Thomas O'Dwyer, 12 May 1916Letter from Lord French to Sir John Maxwell, 3 May 1916Letter from Lord Wimborne to Sir John Maxwell, 1 May 1916.Letter from Lord Wimborne to Sir John Maxwell, 1 May 1916Letter from Robert John Lynn to Sir John Maxwell, 2 May 1916Letter from Lord Wimborne to Sir John Maxwell, 3 May 1916Letter from Sir John Maxwell to Lord French, 4 May, 1916Letter from John Dillon to Sir John Maxwell, 8 May 1916.Letter from Sir John Maxwell to Herbert Henry Asquith, 12 May 1916.Letter from Lord French to Sir John Maxwell, 19 May 1916Letter from Sir John Maxwell to Lord French, 16 May 1916Letter from Bishop Edward Thomas O'Dwyer to General John Grenfell Maxwell, 17 May 1916Letter from Lord French to Sir John Maxwell, 29 April 1916Letter from Lord French to Sir John Maxwell, 1 May 1916Letter from Lord Wimborne to Sir John Maxwell, 29 April 1916 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