PH Pearse Letters Awaiting Execution I

Revive the Feiseanna

Protect Our Irish Heritage

When Will Ireland Be United?

Do you feel politically represented?

PH Pearse Letters Awaiting Execution I

Arbour Hill Barracks,
Dublin,
1st May 1916.

Dearest Mother,

You will, I know, have been longing to hear from me. I don't know how much you have heard since the last note I sent you from the G.P.O.

On Friday evening the post office was set on fire, and we had to abandon it. We dashed into Moore Street, and remained in the houses in Moore Street until Saturday afternoon. We then found that we were surrounded by troops, and that we had practically no food. We decided, in order to avoid further slaughter of the civil population and in the hope of saving the lives of our followers, to ask the General commanding the British forces to discuss terms. He replied that he would receive me only if I surrendered unconditionally, and this I did.

I was taken to the Headquarters of the British Command in Ireland, and there I wrote and signed an order to our men to lay down their arms. All this I did in accordance with the decision of the members of our Provisional Government who were with us in Moore Street. My own opinion was in favour of one more desperate sally before opening negotiations but I yielded to the majority, and I think now the majority were right, as the sally would have resulted only in losing the lives of perhaps fifty or one hundred of our men, and we should have had to surrender in the long run, as we were without food.

I was brought here on Saturday evening and later on all the men with us in Moore Street were brought here. Those in the other parts of the city have, I understand, been taken to other barracks and prisons. All here are safe and well. Willie and all the St Enda's boys are here. I have not seen them since Saturday, but I believe that they are all well, and that they are not now in any danger. Our hope and belief is that the Government will spare the lives of all our followers but we do not expect that they will spare the lives of the leaders. We are ready to die and we shall die cheerfully and proudly. Personally I do not hope or even desire to live. But I do hope and desire and believe that the lives of all our followers will be saved, including the lives dear to you and me (my own excepted), and this will be a great consolation to me when dying.

You must not grieve for all this. We have preserved Ireland's honour and our own. Our deeds of last week are the most splendid in Ireland's history. People will say hard things of us now, but we shall be remembered by posterity and blessed by unborn generations. You too will be blessed because you were my mother.

If you would like to see me, I think you will be allowed to visit me, by applying to the Headquarters Irish Command, near the Park. I shall, I hope, have another opportunity of writing to you.

Love to W. W., M. B., Miss Byrne, and to your own dear self.

P.S. I understand that the German expedition on which I was counting actually set sail but was defeated by the British.

Article originally published on: Monday 1st May 1916

If you'd like to help with producing further articles, please sign up here!
More articles can be found here.

An Claíomh Solais means "The Sword of Light", and is named after an Irish newspaper originally published around the beginning of the twentieth century. This project is opening a window to that time, not so long ago, and sharing the hopes, dreams and visions of the men and women who founded the modern Irish Republic.

The project will follow in their footsteps along the path laid down by Hyde, O'Conaire, MacNeill, Cusack and many others through sharing news, ideas, articles of Irish cultural interest and more, as well as helping to support Irish language and cultural initiatives. You can find out more about An Claíomh Solais by clicking on the buttons below, or join our team as we begin the great Gaelic restoration!

Revive the Feiseanna

Statue of Michael Collins to Replace the Spike

Do you feel politically represented?

Should the GAA return the All Ireland to September?

A Question of Colour

There has been an increasing and unsettling tendency in the discourse surrounding mass immigration to Ireland for people to speak uncritically of "white" and "black" ethnic groups.

This deeply misguided categorisation scheme finds its roots among US American racial narratives, and bears little to no relationship to bare reality, let alone Irish culture. Nonetheless it is a valuable tool for racists and hatemongers to incite division and violence among people, which is why it has lasted so long and is being pushed so hard by western, including Irish, academia.
Read more...

The Myth of "Jobs the Irish Won't Do": Unveiling the True Agenda

A frequently cited justification for mass immigration is the claim that migrants are essential for doing "menial" or "dirty" jobs which supposedly the Irish population is unwilling to perform. On the surface, this narrative seems compassionate or pragmatic, but upon closer examination, it reveals troubling underlying assumptions and motives.

Those who advocate mass immigration using this argument implicitly admit they seek cheap labour, effectively advocating for a new servant class to perform essential tasks at minimal wages. It suggests a disturbing willingne
Read more...

Éire Gaelach: Nature’s Timeless Dance—The Ancient Irish Tradition of Awakening

In Ireland, our relationship with the land is as ancient and profound as our most sacred traditions. Long before modern distractions, our ancestors cherished the rhythms and sequences of nature, celebrating them as evidence of the delicate balance—the equilibrium—that breathes life into the very soul of our island. Today, this beautiful relationship is still ours to embrace.

Each spring, Ireland gently awakens, revealing an extraordinary and intricate sequence. Look closely, and you'll see nature’s delicate timetable unfolding around you, as it has done for t
Read more...

Ireland for the Irish: Why This Phrase Matters

The phrase "Ireland for the Irish" often evokes strong reactions, yet its underlying meaning is straightforward, logical, and fundamentally just. At its heart, it poses a simple question: If Ireland isn't for the Irish people, then for whom should it be?

This is not about exclusion or hostility. It's about affirming the right of the Irish people to prioritize their own cultural identity, economic interests, national sovereignty, and future. Every nation has the inherent right to preserve and celebrate its identity, culture, language, and history without apology.
Read more...

I Want an Irish Ireland

Teastaíonn Éire Ghaelach uaim,
Glan mar shruthán sléibhe,
Áit ina maireann spiorad
Na nGael i gcroí gach lae.

Tír mhúnlaithe, faoi chúram
Daoine dúchasacha féin,
Ár gcine ársa slánaithe,
Ár gcultúr faoi bhláth go tréan.

Ár miotais beo is bríomhar,
Scéalta na bhFiann le hinsint fós,
Gaisce, neart is crógacht
I seanscéalta ár sinsear beo.
Read more...

Echoes of the Fianna: A Tribute to Seán MacDiarmada, Tom Clarke, and Eamonn Ceannt

In the sacred mist that veils Éirinn's ancient hills, three warriors walk eternal—Seán MacDiarmada, Tom Clarke, and Eamonn Ceannt—borne by a spirit that echoes from the mighty Fianna. Their voices resound softly through glens once guarded by Fionn Mac Cumhaill, their courage a flame kindled in the hearts of those who keep vigil by fires long burning beneath Irish skies.

Seán MacDiarmada, a whispering harp-string of strength, his resolve shimmering as pure and steady as ancient melodies strummed by bards beneath starry nights. Within his heart b
Read more...