Letter from Diarmid Coffey to Jane Coffey, 16 October 1916 Letters 1916-1923 Diarmid Coffey

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The letter is from Diarmid Coffey to his mother. Diarmid Coffey (1888-1964) joined the Irish Volunteers in 1914 and became secretary of the Irish National Volunteers after the organisation split in 1915 (it was the other group who participated in the Rising). He later served as assistant clerk of the Seanad. Jane Coffey (née l'Estrange) (1857-1921) was born into a Protestant family but married Catholic George Coffey and became a member of the National Literary Society. The letter describes his time in Cork and refers to political matters, particularly the threat of Irish conscription in to the British army. Coffey notes that the people he has spoken to are all willing to fight conscription and suggests that it would take half a million troops to enforce it in Ireland.

National Library of Ireland Coffey & Chenevix Trench Papers, Collection List No 153; Ms. 46,304/10 https://letters1916.ie/item/2594 English Diarmid Coffey 1916-10-16 Glengarriff, Co. Cork Jane Coffey Bath, UK Male 1964 Politics

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 Glengarriff, Co. Cork. Oct 10th 1916. Dear Mother, Your notes have certainly been short. I was interested in the cutting from the "Daily News". There was a big anti-conscription meeting at Limerick under Linden M.P. in which he called on all the young men of Ireland to rally around Redmond to resist conscription & to be prepared to resist it in their thousands. There are two very nice young Irish officers in the Eccles with very sensible views, almost as good as R.B's. It is a comfort to think that a year in the army has not made them imperialists. I gather that they are by no means misguided. I have talked to a good many of the country people round here. The one thing that interests them is conscription & they all say that if they have to die they'll die in their own country so that I think it would take 1/2 a million men to conscribe us and whatever they got of us would only wait their chance to goshoot their officers & any other English troops that came handy. Take it all in all I hardly think the govt will be insane enough to try & there is always the off chance of trouble here turning the in America & Australia. If they bring in conscription, I look forward, should I survive it, to seeing the end of the English. I had a pleasant day yesterday. Sailed in the morning & tea on Garnish in the afternoon. There are a rather curious crowd at the Eccles. The two officers I mentioned & two others one a rather nice little Rhodesian. The stiff V. a rather nice woman as (I forget her name), a Lady Theodora D— ? and her daughter the former a decent stick the latter a minx & a Miss —? who seems nice. Then & Lord Frederick Hamilton. I rather like the latter but he is inclined to think himself amusing when not trying to be funny he talks very interestingly & has seen a lot of the Wouldings he has been in every country. Yours Diarmuid Wed I leave here for the Stockleys tomorrow & on to Mt T. on Sat. I did not go to Lynsaghts because L told me that he would not be at home this autumn. I only heard through you that he might be there. I had arranged with Stockleys to go on Thurs (tomorrow) & did not like to change without reason or to propose myself to them for more than 2 nights. I hope you will come home for the winter. I shall be back in Dublin the end of next week & shall go to L.P.A. until you come but would not like to stay there long. I had a good Irish lesson today. Your Diarmid I am at Casey's Hotel. Mrs. Coffey C/O Emily Lady Lawrence Langridge Near Bath Glengarriff, Co. Cork Letter from Diarmid Coffey to Jane Coffey, 16 October 1916 Bath, UK Letter to Diarmid Coffey, 12 October 1916Letter from Diarmid Coffey to Jane Coffey, 16 October 1916Letter from Jane Coffey to her son Diarmid Coffey, 16 October 1916 Diarmid Coffey Letter From John Miley to Diarmid Coffey, 18 January 1916Letter from Edward (Ned) Lysaght to Diarmid Coffey, 18 June 1916Letter from Kevin R. O’Shiel to Diarmid Coffey, 23 August 1916Letter from Jane Coffey to her son Diarmid Coffey, 17 October 1916Letter From John Miley in France to Diarmid Coffey on the Ulster Home Defence ForceLetter to Diarmid Coffey from Dermod O’Brien about the Irish QuestionLetter from Diarmid Coffey to Jane Coffey, 8 October 1916Letter from Diarmid Coffey to Jane Coffey, 16 October 1916Letter from Jane Coffey to her son Diarmid Coffey, 16 October 1916 Jane Coffey Letter from George Russell to Jane Coffey, c. March/April 1916Letter from Jane Coffey to her son Diarmid Coffey, 17 October 1916Letter from Douglas Hyde to Jane Coffey, 1 October 1916Letter from Diarmid Coffey to Jane Coffey, 8 October 1916Letter from Diarmid Coffey to Jane Coffey, 16 October 1916Letter from Jane Coffey to her son Diarmid Coffey, 16 October 1916