Sir, – I refer to former taoiseach John Bruton’s wish (News, August 13th) that the British government might transfer the Westminster statue of John Redmond to us since we have none of our own. Lest he wonder why Westminster has seen fit to honour Redmond, the content of an election pamphlet issued in support of Count Plunkett, standing for election after the Rising, might enlighten him. It is headed “John Redmond and the Executions” and reads: On the evening of the 3rd May 1916, after the English Premier had announced – amid the cheers of the English Whigs and Tories and the Redmondites – that Pearse, MacDonagh and Clarke had been shot that morning,and while Joseph Plunkett, Edward Daly, Cornelius Colbert and Michael O Hanrahan were lying in the condemned cell, John Redmond rose in the British House of Commons and said: ‘This outbreak happily seems to be over. It has been dealt with with the firmness which was not only right, but it was the duty of the Government to so deal with it ... I do beg the Government not to show undue harshness or severity to the great masses of those who are implicated, on whose shoulders lies a guilt far different from that which lies upon the instigators and promoters of this outbreak.’ Redmond thus signified his approval of the execution of the leaders. Redmond uttered this speech at 4pm in the British House of Commons on May 3rd. Eleven hours later Plunkett, Daly, O’Hanrahan and Colbert were shot by the British Government’s orders. Who will vote for the nominee of Redmond the approver and inciter of the execution of Joseph Plunkett?”
The pamphlet was issued by JB Boyle, Solicitor, Boyle, election agent for Count Plunkett in the 1917 Roscommon North by-election. – Yours, etc,
JAMES CONNOLLY HERON,
Oxford Road,
Ranelagh,
Dublin 6. mob