Joseph O’Byrne was born in 1875 in Queens County (Laois). By 1911 he was living in Fairview Avenue in Dublin. According to records from the Bureau of Military History he took part in the 1916 Easter Rising. During the period that the letters were written, O’Byrne lived on 24th Street, New York. He can be found on the 1930 census showing his residence as Manhattan. O’Byrne although in America held a keen interest in Irish politics. Francis (Frank) Patrick Walsh (1864-1939), was an American lawyer and political reformer. He was one of the chief architects of the legislative struggle against industrial exploitation of children and an advocate of Irish and anti-imperialist causes. He also fought for civil liberties and was a labour partisan and staunch New Dealer. Walsh was a member of the Irish-American delegation (along with Michael J. Ryan and Edward F. Dunne) who were appointed to represent Ireland at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919. On 10 April 1919 the delegation arrived in Paris. The men returned to America in July 1919 where Walsh began working with the Dail External Loan (Bond Drive). This letter references a letter sent on 19 November 1919, and asks for a reply to same. O'Byrne informs Walsh that a bond rally will be held at Halagon Hall. Walsh is asked for ‘official sanction’ on committees organised to collect money at church gates and other such community areas. O'Byrne also requests literature and states that no deductions will be taken from the money collected by the committees mentioned earlier in the letter.