1 P41/23/8 Drumboe Castle
Stranorlar Tirconail Feb. 1st ‘23 A a cara dil Got your letter this evening. I had just begun
to think that you were rather long without writing. I see
that twas the delay in my letter that was the reason.
Usually I write you on the same day that your letters
come but then of course they are often delayed. Not at all I wasn’t in the least nice about
those yarns and twas silly of you to think so.
Of course you can. I don’t help better such a funny
thing out. I can imagine how twas enjoyed. Did
you tell Free? When I saw it in the paper that Francis
had been brought to Dublin from Kerry I guessed
that Tomás & the lads would be among them. I had
a letter from my mother last week telling me about
her visit to them and that they expected to be sent to
Mountjoy. I wrote him some time ago. I don’t know
if he had my letter before he left. I’ll chance him
with another at his new address. I had several
letters today including from
O’Brien, Dan Cahill, Rita (of ) and Father 2 Brennan over a dozen altogether. Fr. Brennan had
heard of our court martial and wrote to tell me
that he was praying and saying Masses for us. I don’t
know if you have yet heard that we have been tried.
Perhaps you may by then as I wrote my mother last
week & told her. I ought have told you when I
wrote last but I didn’t know at the time if I
would be permitted tell. Besides I was in no
hurry to inform anybody for I knew that would
be known soon enough. A fortnight has elapsed
the C.M. and we haven’t heard the result
yet. Don’t worry about us but pray that every
thing will come alright. Although we don’t know
what our fate may be we are not worrying one
bit. The thought of sudden death has so often
been before us for the past few years that we are
not afraid of its possibility now and we trust
on and our friends prayers either to bring us
out safe or give us a happy death. One good
thing anyway we have every opportunity to prepare
for death should it be that. Ask the Rev. Mother
the nuns & your companions to pray for us. I
suppose the Rev. Mother my visit out there. 3 Fr. Brennan said he might be in Dublin this week.
So you may meet him. I don’t know where he puts
up there but probably at the “Shelbourne”. He says
that they are taking the news of my trial alright at
home. That’s the way I want you all to take it
whatever else may come and there’s no use anyway
of worrying beforehand. We here are in as
good spirits as ever and in fact better
as it may seem. While not deluding ourselves
with hopes that might be false at the same time
we aren’t in gloomy foreboding. I answered those letters of Nellie
some time ago and I heard they got them
alright. Yes they have become very good at
the Irish. I was surprised at their letters. That
little book you sent was very good. You can
send me any good ones you come across. Also
send me some of the good weeklies such as “Ireland’s
Eye”. N Ring sent me this months “Dublin Opinion”. I
had a letter from Mollie a few days ago. Beannacht De ort [Signature.]