The letter is from John Sweetman (1844-1936) to Piaras or Pierce Béaslaí, born Percy Beazley (1881-1965). Sweetman was a former Irish Parliamentary Party MP who became president of the Irish Volunteers in Kells, where he owned the large Drumbaragh estate, in 1914. He was arrested after the Easter Rising and became involved in rebuilding Sinn Féin after his release. Béaslaí was a journalist and member of the militant Keating branch of the Gaelic League. He fought in the North King Street area during the Easter Rising and was imprisoned afterwards. He later became publicity officer in the Dáil government and edited the IRA newspaper 'An t-Oglach'. The letter refers to a copy of a speech made by Sweetman which Béaslaí had requested.