1
NEW IRELAND Office,
13 Fleet Street,
Dublin . April 15th. 1916. Sir, The gravity of the present situation in Ireland
compels me to invite your serious attention to the
enclosed. It is a copy of portion of a document recent-
ly addressed to and on the files in Dublin Castle. In view of the deliberate intention here revealed
on the part of the Government to cause bloodshed in
Ireland by an attack on the Irish Volunteers. — a body
formed openly in pre—war times — in a manner certain
to provoke armed resistance. I appeal to you to use
your influence public and private, in whatever manner
you may consider would best benefit this country. Yours truly, Patrick J. Little 2 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 of
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 & signed by the under
secretary & the general officer commanding 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 volunteers general
council irish sinn fein volunteers county board irish sinn
fein volunteers executive committee national volunteers
coisde gnota committee gaelic league see list a three &
four & supplementary list a two.......
....... dublin metropolitan police and royal irish
constabulary forces in dublin city will be confined to
barracks under direction of competent military author
—ity an order will be issued to inhabitants of city to rem
—ain in their houses until such time as competent milit—
ary authority may otherwise direct or permit pickets
chosen from units of territorial force will be placed at
all points marked on maps three and four accompany
—ing mounted patrols will continuously visit all points
& report every hour the following premises will be oc
—cupied by adequate forces and 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 number two daw
son street headquarters volunteers number twelve
dolier street nationality office number twenty five rutl—
& 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 prem
—ises capel street surrey house leinster road rathmines
the following premises will be isolated & all commun—
ication to or from prevented premises known as arch—
bishops house drumcondra mansion house dawson street
number forty herbert park larkfield kimmage road wood—
townpark ballyboden saint endas college hermitage rath -
farnham & in addition premises in list five d see maps
three & four 3 Secret Orders issued to Military Officers. 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 of 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 Secretary's Office, Dublin Castle, & signed by
the Under Secretary & the General Officer Commanding 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 Volunteers, General Council Irish Sinn Fein
Volunteers, County Board Irish Sinn Fein Volunteers, Executive
Committee National Volunteers, Coisde Gnota Committee Gaelic
League. See list A 3 and 4 and supplementary list A2. . . .
Dublin Metropolitan Police & Royal Irish Constabulary Forces
in Dublin City will be confined to barracks under the direction of
the Competent Military Authority. An order will be issued to
inhabitants of city to remain in their houses until such time as the
Competent Military Authority may otherwise direct or permit
Pickets chosen from units of Territorial Forces will be placed at all
points marked on Maps 3 and 4. 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 Placee ; No. 6
Harcourt Street, Sinn Fein building; No 2 Dawson Street; Head—
quarters Volunteers; No. 12 D'Olier Street, Nationality office;
No. 25 Rutland Square, Gaelic League Office; No. 41 Rutland
Square, Foresters' Hall; Sinn Fein Volunteer premises in
city; all National Volunteer premises in the city; Trades
Council presmies, Capel Street; Surrey House, Leinster Road,
Rathmines. THE FOLLOWING PREMISES WILL BE ISOLATED,
& ALL COMMUNICATION TO OR FROM PREVENTED:—
PREMISES KNOWN AS ARCHBISHOP'S HOUSE, DRUM—
CONDRA; MANSION HOUSE, DAWSON STREET; NO. 40
Herbert Pasrk; Larkfield, Kimmage Road; Woodtown Park, Ballyboden;
Saint Endas College, Hermitage, Rathfarnham; and in addition
premises in list 5 D, see Maps 3 and 4. 4 The following Official Document which has reached us, in
cipher, needs no comment. the precautions taken in '99 were
simplicity itself compared to them. The following precautionary measures have been sanctioned
by the Irish Office on the recommendation of 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 Secretary's Office, Dublin Castle, and
signed by the Under—Secretary and the General Officer commanding
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 Volunteers ; General Council
Irish Sinn Fein Volunteers; County Boards Irish Sinn Fein Volunteers;
Executive Committee National Volunteers; Coisde Gnotha Committee
Gaelic League - see list A three and 4, and Supplementary List A Two. Dublin Metropolitan Police and Royal Irish Constabulary
forces in Dublin City will be confined to Barracks under direction
of competent military authority, & order will be issued to
inhabitant's of city to remain in their houses until such time as
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 and four accompanying. Mounted
patrols will continuously visit all points & report every hour.
the following premises will be occupied be 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 — Number two Dawson Street -
Headquarters Volunteers — Number twelve d'Olier 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 Councl premises Capel Street; Surrey House Leinster
Road, Rathmines. The following premises will be isolated & all
communications to or from prevented — premises known as Archbishop's
House, Drumcondra; Mansion House, Dawson Street; Number forty
Herbert Park; Larkfield, Kimmage Road; Woodtown Park, Ballyboden;
St. Enda's College, Hermitage, Rathfarnham, and in addition
premises in list five D — see maps three and four.
13 Fleet Street,
Dublin . April 15th. 1916. Sir, The gravity of the present situation in Ireland
compels me to invite your serious attention to the
enclosed. It is a copy of portion of a document recent-
ly addressed to and on the files in Dublin Castle. In view of the deliberate intention here revealed
on the part of the Government to cause bloodshed in
Ireland by an attack on the Irish Volunteers. — a body
formed openly in pre—war times — in a manner certain
to provoke armed resistance. I appeal to you to use
your influence public and private, in whatever manner
you may consider would best benefit this country. Yours truly, Patrick J. Little 2 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 of
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 & signed by the under
secretary & the general officer commanding 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 volunteers general
council irish sinn fein volunteers county board irish sinn
fein volunteers executive committee national volunteers
coisde gnota committee gaelic league see list a three &
four & supplementary list a two.......
....... dublin metropolitan police and royal irish
constabulary forces in dublin city will be confined to
barracks under direction of competent military author
—ity an order will be issued to inhabitants of city to rem
—ain in their houses until such time as competent milit—
ary authority may otherwise direct or permit pickets
chosen from units of territorial force will be placed at
all points marked on maps three and four accompany
—ing mounted patrols will continuously visit all points
& report every hour the following premises will be oc
—cupied by adequate forces and 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 number two daw
son street headquarters volunteers number twelve
dolier street nationality office number twenty five rutl—
& 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 prem
—ises capel street surrey house leinster road rathmines
the following premises will be isolated & all commun—
ication to or from prevented premises known as arch—
bishops house drumcondra mansion house dawson street
number forty herbert park larkfield kimmage road wood—
townpark ballyboden saint endas college hermitage rath -
farnham & in addition premises in list five d see maps
three & four 3 Secret Orders issued to Military Officers. 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 of 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 Secretary's Office, Dublin Castle, & signed by
the Under Secretary & the General Officer Commanding 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 Volunteers, General Council Irish Sinn Fein
Volunteers, County Board Irish Sinn Fein Volunteers, Executive
Committee National Volunteers, Coisde Gnota Committee Gaelic
League. See list A 3 and 4 and supplementary list A2. . . .
Dublin Metropolitan Police & Royal Irish Constabulary Forces
in Dublin City will be confined to barracks under the direction of
the Competent Military Authority. An order will be issued to
inhabitants of city to remain in their houses until such time as the
Competent Military Authority may otherwise direct or permit
Pickets chosen from units of Territorial Forces will be placed at all
points marked on Maps 3 and 4. 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 Placee ; No. 6
Harcourt Street, Sinn Fein building; No 2 Dawson Street; Head—
quarters Volunteers; No. 12 D'Olier Street, Nationality office;
No. 25 Rutland Square, Gaelic League Office; No. 41 Rutland
Square, Foresters' Hall; Sinn Fein Volunteer premises in
city; all National Volunteer premises in the city; Trades
Council presmies, Capel Street; Surrey House, Leinster Road,
Rathmines. THE FOLLOWING PREMISES WILL BE ISOLATED,
& ALL COMMUNICATION TO OR FROM PREVENTED:—
PREMISES KNOWN AS ARCHBISHOP'S HOUSE, DRUM—
CONDRA; MANSION HOUSE, DAWSON STREET; NO. 40
Herbert Pasrk; Larkfield, Kimmage Road; Woodtown Park, Ballyboden;
Saint Endas College, Hermitage, Rathfarnham; and in addition
premises in list 5 D, see Maps 3 and 4. 4 The following Official Document which has reached us, in
cipher, needs no comment. the precautions taken in '99 were
simplicity itself compared to them. The following precautionary measures have been sanctioned
by the Irish Office on the recommendation of 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 Secretary's Office, Dublin Castle, and
signed by the Under—Secretary and the General Officer commanding
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 Volunteers ; General Council
Irish Sinn Fein Volunteers; County Boards Irish Sinn Fein Volunteers;
Executive Committee National Volunteers; Coisde Gnotha Committee
Gaelic League - see list A three and 4, and Supplementary List A Two. Dublin Metropolitan Police and Royal Irish Constabulary
forces in Dublin City will be confined to Barracks under direction
of competent military authority, & order will be issued to
inhabitant's of city to remain in their houses until such time as
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 and four accompanying. Mounted
patrols will continuously visit all points & report every hour.
the following premises will be occupied be 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 — Number two Dawson Street -
Headquarters Volunteers — Number twelve d'Olier 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 Councl premises Capel Street; Surrey House Leinster
Road, Rathmines. The following premises will be isolated & all
communications to or from prevented — premises known as Archbishop's
House, Drumcondra; Mansion House, Dawson Street; Number forty
Herbert Park; Larkfield, Kimmage Road; Woodtown Park, Ballyboden;
St. Enda's College, Hermitage, Rathfarnham, and in addition
premises in list five D — see maps three and four.
Letter from Patrick J. Little, editor of the New Ireland newspaper, to an unknown recipient. Enclosed in the letter are three versions of a portion of a document from Dublin Castle telling of plans to arrest members of the Irish Volunteers and other related organisations. Little appeals to the recipient of the letter to use his influence to discourage such action in order to avoid bloodshed.
How to cite
Letters 1916, published by the Austrian Centre for Digital Humanities, Vienna, 2026 (https://letters1916static.github.io/letters1916-static/item__2997.html)
- Place
- New Ireland Office, 13 Fleet Street, Dublin
- Mentioned in
- Letter from Patrick J. Little, 15 April 1916