Following the Easter Rising in 1916, Éamon de Valera was imprisoned first, in Mountjoy jail and then, following the commutation of his death sentence, in four English prisons — Dartmoor, Lewes, Maidstone, and Pentonville. He was released under the general amnesty in 1917.
Among his papers are a series of Christmas cards sent to him from friends, relatives and admirers while he was imprisoned in Lewes. Some are beautifully illustrated, some are strongly nationalist, some are both!
The cards reflect the personal traumas of the period: a child whose father was executed; wives separated from their husbands imprisoned in another country for who knew how long. They are clear, however, about their commitment to their republican ambition.
For our final blog post of 2024, we will reproduce some of them here, with kind permission of UCD-OFM Partnership.
UCDA P150/532 Papers of Eamon de Valera
Christmas postcard from Rónán Ceannt, whose father, Éamon Ceannt, was executed following the Rising. The iconography of this card is fascinating: a joyful Santa Claus attired in the colours of the Irish flag, the toys that normally fill his sack are replaced by armed revolutionaries, and the tricolour is raised on the General Post Office in the background. The text reads:
A Xmas Wish
Here’s Santa Claus in fresh array
His garb, a bright Republic hue.
He brings Good Wishes for Christmas Day
And the Best of Luck for the Year that’s New.
UCDA P150/532 Papers of Eamon de Valera
Christmas card from Agnes MacNeill, whose husband, Eoin MacNeill, was also imprisoned in the UK at this time. After the Rising, MacNeill was arrested and court-martialled. He was sentenced to life imprisonment and removed from his chair at UCD. He was released from prison under the general amnesty in 1917 and reinstated at UCD. The iconography here is strongly nationalist also, with the prominent use of shamrock and harp and text that turns on the concept of “Erin’s sons”.
UCDA P150/532 Papers of Eamon de Valera
Christmas card from Denis Neary, who fought under Edward (Ned) Daly, commandant of the 1st Battalion who held the Four Courts in 1916. Daly was executed following the Rising. The main decoration on the cover of the card is clearly a homage to the highly decorative work associated with so many illuminated Irish manuscripts.
UCDA P150/532 Papers of Eamon de Valera
Christmas card from Eimhir Ni Uadall (Emily Weddall). The card is beautifully drawn and painted, presumably by Ni Uadall. A member of Cumann na mBan, she is buried beside the republican plot at Glasnevin.
UCDA P150/532 Papers of Eamon de Valera
Christmas card from Seán Goulding. Goulding would later become a Fianna Fáil TD , senator , and serve as Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann. This is an elaborately structured card, impressively and unashamedly nationalist, particularly the inside image with its combination of tricolour, GPO, rifles and the first stanza of “Stand fast boys”, with all three stanzas reproduced in full in the interior of the card.
UCDA P150/532 Papers of Eamon de Valera
Christmas postcard from P.J. Stuart. The statement “Ireland awaits your return” could not be clearer about the growing perception of Éamon de Valera as a leader in the Irish republican movement.
UCDA P150/532 Papers of Eamon de Valera
Postcard from James Fintan Murphy. Murphy was an active Irish republican in London. There is no attempt at jollity or sentimentality here. Murphy makes his point in the address on postcard: “Irish Prisoner of War”, a status sought by De Valera and the Irish prisoners held in English prisons following the Rising.
UCDA P150/532 Papers of Eamon de Valera
Christmas card from Mabel FitzGerald whose husband, Desmond, was tried by court martial, and sentenced to twenty years’ penal servitude, of which ten were remitted, following the Rising. He was released in the general amnesty of 1917. This is a lovely, quiet, peaceful image on which to end this post.
Wishing all our readers a very happy and peaceful Christmas and New Year.
This post was written by Kate Manning, Principal Archivist, UCD Archives