Letter from Frongoch to William O'Brien, 14 October 1916 Letters 1916-1923

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Letter from a group of Irish prisoners in Frongoch to William O'Brien. The letter concerns the rations received by internees in the camp. According to the prisoners some of the meat being served to prisoners is 'unfit for human consumption'. The letter states that this is the third time this has occurred and asks O'Brien to let in 'the light of public opinion on the matter'. Frongoch Internment Camp in Wales was a makeshift prison used for the internment of approximately 1,800 Irishmen in the wake of the Easter Rising, 1916. It was to become known as the 'University of Revolution' due to the influential effect it had on its inmates. William O'Brien (1852-1928) was an Irish nationalist politician serving as a Member of Parliament in the Britain from 1883 until he withdrew himself and his party in 1918. Among the signatories to this letter are Michael Staines (1885-1955), Thomas Sinnott (1893-1965) and Richard Mulcahy(1886-1971). .

National Library of Ireland Art Ó Briain Papers, Collection List No. 150; Ms 8429/19-5 https://letters1916.ie/item/3959 English 1916-10-14 Frongoch Prison, Bala, Wales William O'Brien House of Commons, London, England Easter Rising Ireland 1916 Politics

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 Irish Prisoners,Internment Camp,Frongoch. 14th Oct. 1916. Al. ByrneL. Ginnell Wm. O'Brien Esq., M.P. House of Commons. Sir:- We much regret the necessity which compeles us to send to youadditional complaints regarding the rations supplied to us by theauthorities. In accordance with the intention to refuse the rationof herrings as indicated in the second para. of the third item ofour letter to you dated 11th inst., the Prisoners' Quarter Masterdeclined to take over the ration of herrings from the militaryyesterday, and asked that some other food stuffs be supplied in lieu.No other article of food would be issued in lieu; and yesterday's(Friday 13th inst.) dinner, in consequence, cost the prisoners£3: 15: 10., out of their private fund. Item No214/10/16BV This morning when the prisoners ration party attended themilitary stores for the purpose of drawing the daily meat ration, theprisoners' Quarter Master complained to the Orderly Officer of theday that the meat, in his opinion, was unfit for human consumption,as the stench from it was very noticeable. The officer admitted thatthe stench was bad, but that if it was washed with vinegar and waterthe stench would disappear. The military butcher remarked, in thehearing of the Quarter Master, that this meat was intended for theGuard, but that they refused it, and were supplied with sausages inlieu. In view of the order and directions of the Orderly Officer, theprisoners' Quarter Master, had no option but to accept the meat forthe time being. On arriving in Camp, the attention of the Head CampLeader was drawn to the meat, and he called the doctor to the kitchen.When he arrived in the Camp at 10 o' clock a.m. the military staffsergeant on duty in the Camp, on becoming aware of this notified theAdjutant, who came to the the prisoners kitchen shortly after the doctor,and immediately tried, by his language and attitude, to brow-beat thedoctor, and was most insulting to the prisoners Quarter master. The doctor, in view of the Adjutant's attitude, considered it advisableto call in his assistant, who at once condemned 176lbs. out of atotal 268lbs. as being utterly unfit for human consumption —that is a proportion of nearly 2/3 of the total. The meat was thenchanged. You will agree with us that this is a serious state of affairs,especially as it is the third occasion on which the meat had to becondemned, as being utterly unfit, and we hope that you willendeavour to seize an early opportunity of letting in the lightof public opinion on the matter. We desire to remain, Sir,Your obedient servants, Michael Staines Head LeaderJ.J. O'Neill (acting) Leader No1. RoomEdward A. Misken Leader No 2. RoomR.J.Mulcahy Leader No 3. RoomThos. D. Sinnott Leader No 4. Room J.J. Frongoch Prison, Bala, Wales Letter from Frongoch to William O'Brien, 14 October 1916 House of Commons, London, England Letter from the Home Office to Joseph Devlin, 26 July 1916Telegram from Alfred Byrne to Mrs. Walter Harris Wilson, 23 May 1916Letter from Herbert Samuel to John P. Boland, 1 August 1916Telegram from Alfred Byrne to Frank McNally, 12 July 1916Letter from Mabel FitzGerald to John Redmond, 27 May 1916.Letter from Andrew Philip Magill to Joseph Devlin, 8 August 1916Letter from John P. Boland to Inspector General R.I.C., 11 July 1916Letter from T J Hanna to Nicolas Lamb, 6 July 1916Letter from John French to John Redmond, 15 April 1916Letter from Frongoch to William O'Brien, 14 October 1916Letter from Michael Staines to Alfred Byrne, 11 October 1916 William O'Brien Letter from William Crawford Anderson to William O'Brien, 28 October 1916Letter from Irish Prisoners, Frongoch to William O'Brien, Esq., MP, 14 October 1916Letter from William O'Brien to Augustine Birrell, 26 February 1916Letter from Andrew Philip Magill to William O'Brien, 28 February 1916.Letter from William O'Brien to Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, 9 November 1915Letter from Frongoch to William O'Brien, 14 October 1916Letter from Andrew Philip Magill to William O'Brien, 28 February 1916Letter from William O'Brien to Augustine Birrell, 26 February 1916