Sir, – The almost universal name-form “Pádraig Pearse” in the media does not correspond with the patriot’s own usage. He signed himself “Pádraig” (or Pádraic) Mac Piarais (initialled, P Mac P) in Irish-language correspondence or sometimes when writing informally in English, eg “your friend Pádraig Mac Piarais”. But letters and documents in English were almost invariably sent from “P.H. Pearse”. This was the clear-cut bilingual practice at the time, not the use of a forename in Irish followed by a surname in English. “Pádraig Pearse” therefore is a phony hybrid.
The 1916 Proclamation (of which Pearse was a principal author) surprisingly does not refer to any cultural goal for the Republic, still less to a language revival. Like four others of the seven signatories, Pearse decided to use the English form of his name at this most critical moment of his life, “in this supreme hour”. This was despite his role for many years as arch-evangelist of language revival. During the home rule controversy in the spring of 1912, he had said “we must ensure that the battle-cry is not sounded in the foreign tongue”. Yet it was exclusively in that tongue that he henceforth expressed his personal and political thoughts and actions. It was in the habitual English form, P.H. Pearse, that he signed communiques, bulletins and the unconditional surrender document. His farewell messages and poems were in English, as was his poignant last letter to his”dear mother”. “I will call to you in my heart at the last moment. Your son Pat”.
“Pat” was his ultimate and irreducible signature. – Yours, etc,
JOHN A MURPHY,
Cork.