Letter from Colonel Sir William Hutchinson Poë to John Redmond, 22 June 1916 Letters 1916-1923 William Hutchinson Poë

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Letter from William Hutchinson Poë (1848-1934) to John Redmond (1856-1918) inquiring about the current state of affairs regarding the settlement of Home Rule and the progress of talks with Lloyd George. Poe questions the utility of southern and western Unionists in bringing about a rapprochement between Nationalists and Unionists and questions the future state of Ireland should the talks break down. Ultimately, Poe believes that Unionists are the key to reconciliation and requests that Redmond would back him in any attempts to facilitate reconciliation. Colonel Sir William Hutchinson Poë was a politician and solider. In 1915 to 1916 he served in Egypt in the First World War, and from 1916 to 1919 with the Red Cross in France. Following independence he served as a Senator of the Irish Free State. John Redmond was an MP and leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party. He was instrumental in securing the promise of Home Rule from Asquith's liberal government. Upon the outbreak of war, Redmond addressed a group of Irish Volunteers at Woodenbridge, Co. Wicklow, encouraging them to fight with the British Army to ensure the implementation of Home Rule. Redmond's words split the Irish Volunteers across the country. The Easter Rising shocked Redmond, who condemned it bitterly. Nonetheless he appealed for leniency towards those who had not been involved in planning the Rising.

National Library of Ireland John Redmond Papers, Collection List No. 118; MS 197/5/5 https://letters1916.ie/item/3690 English William Hutchinson Poë 1916-06-22 Heywood, Ballinakill, Queens Co., Ireland John Redmond Male 1934 Easter Rising Ireland 1916 Politics

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 Private& Confidential TELEGRAMS,BALLINAKILL.STATION, ABBEYLEIX. HeywoodBallinakill,Queens Co. 22nd June 1916 Dear Mr. Redmond, I hope you willforgive me for troublingyou with a letter at a timewhen I feel sure yourmind and energies mustbe fully occupied inconnection with a settlementof the Home Rule QuestionMy execuse for doing sois, that during the lastfew days, judging by what one reads in the papers-there appears some dangerof the negotiations intiatedby David lloyd George fallingthrough, in which caseI am anxious to know,whether in your opinionthe intervention of aninfluential body of Unionistsof the South and West of Ireland,might not possibly availto bring about a repproache--ment between the nationalist Party and Ulster,with a view to effectingsuch a setllement as wouldenable Ulster, from thefirst, to throw in her lotwith the rest of the country. Should unfortunately, W.Llyod George's proposals -fromone cause or another-notmaterialise, it seems tome that we shall be faceto face with a situationof the upmost gravity,for while few may befound to evince muchupset of the abandonmnet of proposals, which in them--selves afford little satisfactionto any party in Ireland, theunfeasibility of reverting tothe status-quo-ante, andthe prospect of the solealternative, viz, a prolongedregime of martial law,cannot but fill the wholecountry with dismay. Whatever the necessity for asettlement at this juncturemay be, that necessity willbe still more insistent inthe event of the presentnegotiations failing, forthe forces of disloyalty andrebellion, rebellion, are in such a casebound to re-assert themselveswith increasing vigour, inan endeavour to still furtheralienate the good-will andallegiance of the loyalnationalists, and to embitterour relations with the Empire. In these circumstances, Ibelieve every Unionist,who has the country's interestat heart would be preparedto subordinate his ownparticular views, and to exert all his influencein support of a policy ofreconciliation and co.operationbetween the two, hithero,opposing political partiesfor he would realise thatonly by a combination ofthe best elements in aunited Ireland can wehope to combat the spiritof disaffection, unrest,and disloyalty which nowthreatens to destroy our Country, and to wreckthe aspirations of thosewho, like yourself, haveso long laboured for theWelfare of Ireland. Should you, as I hope,agree with me in thinkingthat some good mightresult from a movementsuch as I suggest, it wouldgreatly facilitate my taskin approaching leadingUnionists, if you would authorise me to say, that youare not unfavourable tosuch a proposition, for withoutsome such indication of yourviews, many men might shrinkfrom coming forward, andexposing themselves perhaps,to rebuff. I need scarcelysay, there is no idea ofmaking any communicationto the press asregards thismatter, and the negotiationsbetween myself and unionistswould be of an entirely con-fidential nature; no actionwould of course, be takenwithout your consent, for, unless I was in aposition to show you thatwe had an influential andrepresentative body ofunionist opinion insupport of my proposals. Believe me,Dear Mr. Redmond,Yours very sincerlyHutchinson Poe. John Redmond Letter from Stanley Owen Buckmaster to John Redmond, 15 February 1916Copy of letter from John Redmond to John Gulland, 14 December 1915Letter from David Lloyd George to John Redmond, 29 September 1916Letter from Mabel FitzGerald to John Redmond, 27 May 1916.Letter from John Redmond to Mabel FitzGerald, 29 May 1916.Letter from Lord Buckmaster to John Redmond, 15 February 1916.Letter from Frederick Rudolph Lambart, Lord Cavan, to John Redmond, 8 February 1916.Letter from John Dillon to John Redmond, 19 June 1916Letter from John Dillon to John Redmond, 29 June 1916Letter from John Dillon to John Redmond, 29 June 1916Letter from John Dillon to John Redmond, 30 June 1916Letter from John Dillon to John Redmond, 30 June 1916Letter from John Dillon to John Redmond, 2 July 1916Letter from Edward, Prince of Wales to John Redmond, 31 January 1916Letter from John French to John Redmond, 15 April 1916Letter from Edmond Joseph Frewen to John Redmond, 25 March 1916Letter from Major-General Lovick Bransby Friend to John Redmond, 11 March 1916Letter from Stanley Owen Buckmaster to John Redmond, 15 February 1916Letter from John Redmond to Major-General L.B. Friend, 9 March 1916Letter from the Most Rev. Bernard Hackett to John Redmond, 4 October 1916Letter from Thomas Gill to John Redmond, 11 April 1916Letter from Thomas Gill to John Redmond, 12 April 1916Letter from Stephen Gwynn to John Redmond, 13 May 1916Letter from Sir Francis Hopwood to John Redmond, 2 May 1916Letter from John Redmond to Sir Francis Hopwood, 4 May 1916Letter from Colonel Sir William Hutchinson Poë to John Redmond, 22 June 1916Letter from Denis Johnston to John Redmond, 12 January 1916 Letter from Denis Johnston to John Redmond, 19 February 1916 Letter from Denis Johnston to John Redmond 2 March 1916 Letter from Denis Johnston to John Redmond, 15 June 1916Letter from Denis Johnston to John Redmond, 4 September 1916 Letter from T.J. Hanna to John Redmond, 20 June 1916Letter from John Redmond to Major General Lovick Bransby Friend, 9 March 1916Letter from Colonel Clive Wigram to John Redmond, 3 April 1916Letter from David Lloyd George to John Redmond, 21 June 1916Letter from David Lloyd George to John Redmond, 6 October 1916Letter from Lady Granard to John Redmond, 20 January 1916Letter from Lord Granard to John Redmond, 3 February 1916Letter (draft) from Lord Buckmaster to John Redmond, 15 February 1916.Letter (transcript) from Lord Cavan to John Redmond, 8 February 1916. William Hutchinson Poë Letter from Colonel Sir William Hutchinson Poë to John Redmond, 22 June 1916 Heywood, Ballinakill, Queens Co., Ireland Letter from Colonel Sir William Hutchinson Poë to John Redmond, 22 June 1916