The country is gearing up to commemorate the centenary of the 1916 Rising, and the official Facebook page for the events is a real treasure trove of artefacts and information about this pivotal point in our history.
This post is especially moving and really brings the reality of the events into focus. The letter was written by Rising leader Joseph Plunkett on the 29th of April 1916 after the surrender to his fiancée Grace Gifford.
“This is just a little note to say I love you and to tell you that I did everything I could to arrange for us to meet and get married but that it was impossible.”
“Love me always as I love you.
Joseph Plunkett, ‘somewhere on Moore Street’, 29 April 1916”
Determined to marry the man she loved, Gifford bought a ring and persuaded the military authorities to allow the two to wed before Plunkett was executed on May 4th by firing squad.
Gifford and Plunkett via thewildgeese
Gifford went on to be an artist and cartoonist, who also spent three months in jail during the Civil War of 1923.
Lead Image via Facebook/Ireland2016
