Letter from Éamon de Valera to his mother, 18 September 1916.

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Letter from Éamon de Valera to his mother, 18 September 1916.

1 Dartmoor Sept 18 th 1916 My Dear Mother, Your letter & Toms' were given to me a short time ago - delay in
hearing from me is inevitable censorship & other regulations having to be complied with. I am
glad that you were able to be present at Toms' ordination & first mass. It had been a dream of
mine that I might too assist at his first mass & perhaps serve as clerk but its occurring in
June would have made that impossible in any case. Tell him not to go to so much trouble
& to not any of you go to any expense in my case â€” I fear it would be all of little avail. 2 I cannot see on what grounds America can interfere unless the position has been distinctly
laid down in International Law or there has been a precedence in my favour. It is fortunate
for the lawyers that nationality questions are not as simple as your formula would make
them mother. I am in good health and as you see not in bad spirits. Nature has been
good to me (I mean God has for the Irish idiom is preferable here as it generally is to the growing
English one) in that way. So do not be uneasy. Were it not for my wife & children, Toms'
cloister would not be so very different to mine - except the surrounds and the free will.
Ask Tom to pray for the souls of my dead comrades rather than for me. Thanks for information about
father. I would like to know more about grandfather's family & business. Love to you all. Ed 3 My dear mother a word to ask you not to worry about me. I hope Toms' ordination day was one of unclouded
happiness for you, his father & himself. One son at least gone the path you would desire but as an Irishwoman
do not be ashamed that the rake is here. The question of my nationality is at present of some importance.
In International Law am I a Spaniard or an American? Was father born in U.S.A or did he get legal naturalised
Grandfather was living in New York until recently wasn't he? My uncle told me a number of things about the family
but I could never be sure of his accuracy - send me an account of all you know about my father and his people. 4 The name is a well known Spanish one. Cyprian de Valera was historiographer to forward rebellion.
The foremost Spanish novelist today is Juan Valera (not de) he was ambassador at Washington in '82 and is
son of ex admiral Valera - What was father's occupation. How old was he when he died. My own children will be
asking these questions of me shortly I expect. Only last week I read here again Griffin's 'Colleen Bawn'. The last time I read it
was when I bade you good bye on your return to America - nine years ago is it not? I hope you are well Best love to Tom Uncle Charlie & yourself, as ever your fond son . Ed. de Valera Q.95 H.M. Prison, Dartmoor England.

A letter from Éamon de Valera (1882-1975) to his mother Catherine Wheelwright (née Coll) (1856-1932). Here de Valera is writing from Dartmoor Prison, England, to his mother in America. He expresses regret at missing his half-brother, Fr Thomas Wheelwright's (1890-1946), ordination and first Mass. The letter is mostly about de Valera's American connection and he asks his mother for information about his grandfather's family and business. He is looking for information to help establish his nationality. Referring again to Fr Tom's ordination, he comments that at least one son had gone the path she would desire, referring to himself as 'the rake' - it is reported that at one point in his life de Valera had, himself, contemplated religious life.Éamon de Valera had joined the Irish Volunteers in 1913 and was adjutant to Thomas MacDonagh (1878-1916), Dublin Brigade commandant. He went on to command forces at Bolands Mill during the Rising and was the most senior participant to escape execution. De Valera would go on to become one of the most influential figures in Ireland's 20th century.

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How to cite

Letters 1916, published by the Austrian Centre for Digital Humanities, Vienna, 2026 (https://letters1916static.github.io/letters1916-static/item__1456.html)