1
Kilmainham Prison Sunday May 7 Dear Mr Walsh, Before this note reaches you
I
shall have said farewell to this Vale of
tears, and have departed for what I
trust will prove a much better world. I take this opportunity of thanking you
and all my railway friends for the kind
ness of the past years. I ask all to forgive
me for any offences which I may have
committed against them, and I ask all
to pray fervently for the repose of my soul Whatever I have done I have done as
a soldier of Ireland in what I believed
to be my country's best interest. I have
thank God no vain regrets. After all,
it is better to be a corpse than a coward. Won't you see that mymy mother
gets all the assistance you can give her,
and refund her the salary due to me,
and also refund her the money due for
the Superannuation Fund. She will
badly need it all -, Gratefully yours J. J. Heuston
This letter was written by Jack (J. J. / Seán) Heuston, (1891-1916) to Mr. Walsh,
a colleague at the Great Southern and Western Railway in Kingsbridge Station, on the
day before his execution at Kilmainham Gaol. He writes to thank Walsh and his other
colleagues at the railway and notes that before the note reaches Walsh, he will have
said farewell to this 'Vale of Tears' as he departs for what he hopes is a better
place. He also writes that he has no regrets and says that it is 'better to be a corpse
than a coward'. Finally, he asks that any money owed to him be paid to his mother.Heuston
was a leading member of Fianna Éireann, a republican boy scout movement, and a founding
member of the Irish Volunteers. During the Easter Rising, Heuston led the garrison
of rebels who occupied the Mendicity Institution on Usher's Island. Under heavy fire
and vastly outnumbered, Heuston surrendered in Wednesday, 26 April (the third day
of the Rising). He was court-martialled, convicted and sentenced to death. He was
executed on 8 May.