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Drumboe
Tuesday Night
Beloved Mother,
What a contrast the contents of this letter is to the one
I wrote you last night. What a change twenty-four hours can
bring. But Mother, surely this is the best news it would be
possible for you to hear of me. I go tomorrow morning at seven
o'clock to meet my Redeemer and my judge. Through the infinite
mercy of Almighty God, I hope to join my dear father and little
Dermot and all my dearest relations and friends in heaven.
Yes mother, my hour has come and I must obey the call. But
Mother, I want you not to worry about me and I hope you will
respect my wishes. You know that this is God's will, and what
further proof of His mercy could we have, in that He has given
me such an opportunity of preparing my soul for Eternity.
Yes, I have a lot to be thankful to Almighty God for, when
we consider the uncertainty of Life and the certainty of Death,
and the suddness with which so many young Irishmen are being
called away. We have had ample time to prepare. We were notified
of our execution on tomorrow at four o'clock this evening
and we had a long talk with the priest, Fr. McMullin, after
which he heard our confessions, and in the morning he will
say Mass here and give us Holy Communion before we are executed,
and so you will see we will be well prepared, better perhaps
than we would ever be again. I know this must come as a great
shock to you after all the assurance Fr. James got.
Now Mother, I hope you won't worry too much, but just think
of the Crown of Glory we are to receive in the morning. I
know it will be a great blow to you all, but for the sake
of the Passion and Death of Christ, bear it patiently and
Almighty God will surely reward you for this, and for all
you have suffered for my sake. You have been a model mother
to me, and to all of us, and I know that you would share your
last breath with any of your children, and ever since father's
death, it has been my one desire to make you happy. But now
I am to have a real opportunity of making you, and all the
rest of my brothers and sisters as happy, as it is the Holy
will of God you should be, by my prayers on your behalf, in
company with the Holy Saints and Angels in heaven.
Thank God I am happy and resigned to the Holy Will of God,
and who knows but our deaths may be the means of bringing
to an end this terrible and unfortunate Civil War. If this
happens, then our sacrifice will not have been made in vain.
I am having a few Masses said with the money you sent and
I suppose you will be able to have some said as well. I have
nothing but praise for our treatment here from both officers
and men, and especially from the policemen who are in charge
of us.
I am sending my things home. There are two pipes, one for
Father James and the other for Tom. I carved the small one
myself and Tom can keep it as a souvenir. My razor and brush
also for Tom. There is a small silver ring which I attempted
to make and tried to scratch Cissie's initials on it. You
can give it to her. There is a photo in my pocket-book for
yourself, and another souvenir for James. I have some other
religious articles but I intend wearing them when being executed
and I will try and make arrangements with Fr. McMullin to
have them sent on to you and you can divide them amongst the
family as souvenirs. I will write a note of farewell to Fr.
Mick and uncle Tom, Fr. James, Cissie, Bridget and Maggie.
Now dear Mother, again I ask you not to worry yourself about
me, for you know I will be happy. Far happier than I ever
could hope to be again on this earth, and I will be praying
for you, and for the rest of my brothers and sisters, that
Almighty God may bring you all through this vale of tears,
and that we may all meet in the land that knows not care or
sorrow, where everything is sunshine and happiness, there
to sing the praises of Almighty God, and the Sacred Heart
of Jesus for all Eternity.
Now mother, I am going to bid you goodbye, but I know it
won't be for long and that Almighty God, whose mercy is infinite,
will bring you from this earthly pilgrimage to join your husband
and two Sons in Heaven. Do not worry dear mother, but bear
with true Christian fortitude, all the crosses and trials
which Almighty God sees fit to send to those he loves.
Mother, I die for a great and noble Cause, the same Cause
which I espoused from the time I first knew anything about
politics, and I only hope that my death, and the deaths of
my comrades, will have the desired effect of bringing to an
end this cruel and unfortunate civil war. Then our lives will
not have been given in vain. I have nothing more to say, except
that I am very happy, and I hope to be happier still tomorrow
when I hear the words "Come ye blessed of my Father and
possess thy Kingdom prepared for you".
And now, I must say the final word. Goodbye, and may the
Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Sorrowful Heart of Mary, the
little Flower, and all the Saints in heaven bless and protect
you. Again Mother goodbye, goodbye.
Your beloved son,
JACK.
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