DRUMBOE CASTLE
Feb. 12th, '23

A Mathair Dilis,

I was very glad to get your letter this evening, for although, having heard from Father Brennan and Florrie O'Mahony that you and all at home had taken the news of my Court-martial splendidly, I was still anxious to hear from yourself. I had expected that you would write immediately and have been almost anxiously on the look-out for a letter from you for the past week, but then I didn't know that you hadn't got my second last letter which fact accounts for the delay.

I knew that you would get a shock on first hearing the news, but I knew also that when you had time to get over the first shock and look into the matter you would take things calmly and with resignation. To hear from yourself that this has been so gives me the greatest satisfaction. How you and the others at home would be affected if anything should happen has been almost my only and chief concern in all this business, but since 1916 I have known that you would accept whatever was demanded in a religious and patriotic spirit. I need not say that I myself have always found strength and consolation in this knowledge, but never more so than now. It is not I or my comrades that are to be pitied in a matter of this kind, but our families, and particularly our mothers. It is you, and others like you, who are punished and really suffer, but after all, we have got to die some time. It is not how or by what means death comes that should concern any of us. If death comes to us, both we and our friends have reason to be thankful that we have had such ample time for preparation, and that we have an opportunity of benefitting by all the Masses, Novenas and prayers that are being said for us at present. All the prayers give us so much confidence that I can't help thinking that perhaps death could not come under more favourable circumstances.

'Tis hardly likely that we will again have so many people praying for us at the same time. They will certainly either secure us our lives, or happy deaths. Anyway, we have reason to hope for the best, whichever 'tis. I have received many letters for the past couple of weeks assuring me that priests and people of all shades of opinion in Donegal, Derry, Dublin and elsewhere are praying for us. This, I know, will be as cheerful news for you as it is was for me. I would like you to see those letters but you shall some time. I am delighted that all my friends in Kerry are praying for me too. Convey my gratitude to all of them, and tell them anything else they could do couldn't be appreciated more by me.

I am sorry to hear that Thomas is not allowed write or receive letters. I wrote him to Mountjoy a few days ago, but he may get my letter, as I mentioned how I was situated, and hoped for a reply from him. I've asked Susie to send me Willie's add. so's I could write to him.

There was no need for you to ask me to pray for you. My prayers may not be as effecacious as you think, but I have prayed for you and all at home all along, but more so than ever now. In fact, my prayers have been as much, or more, on your account than on my own. Could I feel (and I almost do) that you were taking this business as well as I am, I could wish for nothing better. Like you, I trust in Providence that everything will be alright. Don't imagine that I don't hold hopes of coming through safely. I do, but there's no use in overlooking facts, or presuming too much. The safest and surest way, while hoping for the best, is to be prepared for anything that God may send. Even the present talk about peace has not changed me in this. Whatever I may do, I hope that for the sake of the country and people, both sides may find it possible to end the trouble soon.

Slan agus beannacht leat anois.
Le gradh O,

CORMAC.

Drumboe Castle,
Stranorlar,
Tirconaill.

14/3/'23

A Mathair Dilis

My last message to you and all at home is not to worry about my death or its circumstances. Forget all about its physical and worldly aspect and look at it only from the spiritual and religious point of view. I am now within a few short hours of death and writing you with perfect calmness. All I think of is Eternity, and am ready to go out at 7 o'clock and face the firing squad with confidence, and hope in God's great Mercy for the salvation of my soul. Our bodies won't count much at this stage, and so far as our souls are concerned, we have had a splendid opportunity. Thank God to make them ready.

We got the news about four this evening. Though 'twas rather sudden, it wasn't altogether unexpected. Besides, we had never lost sight of the possibility of our C.M. ending in death.

Father McMullin has been with us and heard our confessions. His kindness and encouragement had made us feel, I might say, light-hearted. We are to have Mass and H.C. at six. I think that I will have the privilege and pleasure of answering Mass as I used long ago in Kiltallagh.

I won't say much about worldly affairs - they look very insignificant now - except that I am leaving all of you some Souvenir or other. I will give a list of them later. My clothes and a few other things will be sent home also later on.

To sum up my best wishes to you, they are your prayers for my eternal happiness, and that you and all the others at home will pray, that each and every one of us will meet together in heaven. I feel that I am fortunate in going now and leaving you all behind to pray for me. I too, with the help of God and the Blessed Virgin, will pray for you until our next meeting.

My death is one of the trials which God is sending you and to the rest of my family for your advancement in His Love. I am confident that all of you will bear it in the way from which you will derive most spiritual benefit. 'Tis not necessary for me to remind you that in this world, God sends most sufferings to those whom He loves most, only to look at it in this way and all will be well. We derive one of our greatest consolations from the knowledge of all the prayers, etc., that have been offered up for us. That they have not saved our lives is God's will, but prayers never go unheard, and if not answered in one way, will be in another. God, in His all-seeing wisdom, has perhaps reserved all the prayers for the benefit of our souls, which are far more important than our bodies. I had promised publication of thanks-giving to the Sacred Heart, The Blessed Virgin, St. Joseph and St. Anthony, in the event of my coming through alright. Now I want you to publish a thanksgiving to them for my death, and the splendid opportunity I have been given to prepare for it. Having got such an opportunity seems to me a greater reason for thanks-giving than were my life spared. Looking at it from all points, I can't imagine in what place, time or circumstance we could hope for a more favourable time to die.

Somehow I don't feel as if I were saying farewell to you. Rather I feel as if I were only writing you a few lines, which will be followed by a short silence, until we meet to part no more. And after all, our short separation will not be all silence, for there will be that Communion of prayer which will make us always feel near to one another. I can understand how a person without religion might feel in a situation like this, but the possession of faith and hope make all the difference in the world. Do you know, I felt far and away sadder on each occasion that I left home than I do to-night. As a matter of fact, I feel practically no sadness in that sense to-night. All I'm concerned about is what the news will mean to you and all who are dear to me, but as I have said already, I trust in God to comfort you all.

I will now say good-bye to you all, to my father, grandmother, Willie, Tom, May, Susie, Nora, Nellie, Nancy and to Judy and Bill and all the friends. I hope to be able to pray for all of you in the future, as in the past. I know, you won't forget me. May God and His Blessed Mother bless you all, and reunite all of us with them in Heaven. Good-bye for a while.

Yours lovingly,
CHARLIE.

I have written this hurriedly - you can understand.

14th - 3 am.

My dear Father

I haven't time now for more than a few hurried lines, but the thought of another and happier meeting than any in this world, leaves no room for regret for the few words more which I might write you. All I will now say is that you must not worry about me. I will say nothing about my life or its history, except that I will hope that both have been what a good Irishman's and Catholic's should have been. I feel that I have done my best in both capacities, and hold no vain regrets. Perhaps I have been more conscientious in the service of my country than in God's, but the service of both are so closely identified that I trust in his mercy for forgiveness, if it has happened that I have been more diligent in the service of Ireland than in His.

As I may not have time to write to each member of the family as I would like to, I will send all of them through you, my best fond farewell in this world. If I can't write to all of them, they won't for that reason be less in my thoughts and prayers. Not alone would I like to write all of you, but I'd like to write many other friends as well, but since I won't have time, I will say a prayer for them instead. Ask all of them to remember me and my comrades in their prayers. The three other lads are splendid. Anybody looking in and seeing us scribbling letters would hardly believe that we will be with God in a couple of hours from now.

Goodbye dear father, may God and His blessed mother strengthen and comfort you and all the others.

Yours as always,

Charlie.

P.S. - 6 am. Goodbye all and God bless and protect you and bring you all safely to Himself.