Letter to Fr. Gleeon from Mrs. E. Thomspon, 21 Harpur’s lane, Cork, thanking him for information regarding the death of her son, Private W. Thompson 8433, 2nd Royal Munster Fusiliers. He had been missing since 10 November and she asks Fr. Gleeson to find out the details of his death.

Letter to Fr. Gleeson from Mary King, 1 Drummy’s Lawn, Shandon Street, Cork, thanking him for his letter regarding her son, Christopher. No one has heard from him or about him.

Letter to Fr. Gleeson from Margaret Maughan, Greenhills, Garryowen, County Limerick, thanking him for the information relating to the death of her son James. She is grateful that he died a happy death. She pays tribute to Fr. Gleeson for all his work.

Letter to Fr. Gleeson from Mrs. Roger Campbell, 171 Menard Street, Firfield, Glasgow, thanking him for his interest in her son, Private William Campbell, 6934. He is one of four brothers in the army, two of whom she has not seen since they went to war in August 1914. The youngest is in Germany since 31 October 1914. Another son, part of the 16th Irish Division is wounded. She states her son ‘Willie’ spoke very highly of Fr. Gleeson.

Letter to Fr. Gleeson from Patrick O’Connor, 12 Queen’s Street, Queenstown, [Cobh], Cork. His son, Private Patrick O’Connor, 7093, is a prisoner in Germany. He thanks Fr. Gleeson for his work stating ‘it is a consolation for those at home to know their dear ones are not lacking in spiritual advice’ (p2).

Letter to Fr. Gleeson from Ellen MacDonagh, Chapel Road, Ennistymon, County Clare, regarding her son, Joachim, who is a prisoner in Germany since 22 December. Her son was helping another wounded soldier when they were surrounded and captured at the Battle of Ypres. She states that Fr. Gleeson is so well known and respected in Ennistymon and he may as well be one of the local priests.

Letter to Fr. Gleeson from Mary Hawley, 4 Davies Place, Moyderwell, Tralee, County Kerry, thanking him for his interest in her son, Private W. Hawley, 6463, who is a prisoner in Germany.

Letter to Fr. Gleeson from H. Dawes, 2 Hawley’s Quay, Limerick, thanking him for his letter. He is hopeful his son, Frank, will be found alive.

Letter to Fr. Gleeson from Mrs. P. Currin, 19 Moffat Street, Belfast, thanking him for his interest in her husband, Private Patrick Currin, who is a prisoner in the camp at Dulmen,Westphalia, Germany.

Letter to Fr. Gleeson 2nd Battalion, Royal Munster Fusiliers, British Expeditionary Forces, France, from Mrs. M.. Doyle, 57 Wolfe Tone Street, Cork, thanking him for his letter regarding her husband, Sergeant J. Doyle. She has not heard from Doyle since 7 November and asks Fr. Gleeson to find out what has happened to him as she is very worried.

Letter to Fr. Gleeson from Elizabeth Meaney, 8 Eccles Street, Dublin, thanking him for his consoling letter. Her son (Martin Meaney) has been captured and is a prisoner in Germany. She was initially informed of this by the Red Cross, Geneva, but she has since had a letter from him. Her son spoke very highly of Fr. Gleeson.

Handwritten notice of Fr. Gleeson, referring to the celebration of mass in a Nyssen hut, marking the Feast of the Presentation.

This contemporaneous account of Easter Rising 1916 captures the uncertainty, the confusion and the anxiety experienced by the religious community and their concern for their Sisters in Dublin city centre communities (i.e. 43 North Great George’s Street, 53 St Stephen’s Green & 77 St Stephen’s Green.) In 1916 the Sisters were bound by the rule of enclosure, and were not permitted to leave convent grounds, unless for medical or other appointments. The Sisters were permitted to visit other convents, but only with the prior agreement of their Local Superior. The annalist records the impact of the Rising on the community, including lack of communication & resulting rumours, food shortages, ‘Sounds of great cannonading’, fires in the city centre which could be seen in Rathfarnham, and the resulting destruction of the city centre. The annalist also records that two of the workmen (employed on the Loreto Abbey farm), participated in the rising and the annals conclude on 9th May, with an account of the arrest and questioning of other farm employees by the authorities. Reference is also made to searches and the capturing of arms in Rathfarnham village.

Letter from M. Michael Corcoran, Loreto Convent, Rathfarnham to Fr. Ryan S.J., Australia. This letter, refers to the 1916 Rising in Dublin, where three Loreto houses were surrounded by ‘fighters and two of Ours had narrow escapes from stray bullets.’ A member of the community at 53 Stephen’s Green, was awoken at 11.30 p.m. ‘by the crash of a bullet through her window pane. It struck the wall opposite and fell on her bed.’ She did not alert the rest of the community, ‘assuming, it maybe supposed, that a second stray bullet would not come the same way.’ She fears what will ‘become of our poor country’, and although she hopes peace will soon be restored, ‘many fear disaffection among the Irish regiments.’ The three houses in Dublin ‘were in great danger, but all Ours kept up their courage wonderfully, and kept at the back of the houses to avoid bullets.....The house on the north side had not enough to eat for a short time.’

This contemporaneous account of Easter Rising 1916 captures the uncertainty, the confusion and the anxiety experienced by the religious community and the resident boarding pupils. In 1916 the Sisters were bound by the rule of enclosure, and were not permitted to leave convent grounds, unless for medical or other appointments. The Sisters were permitted to visit other convents, but only with the prior agreement of their Local Superior. A small number of boarders remained in the boarding school throughout the Easter holidays 1916, they were the daughters of parents working/living abroad or for whom, travel home, was not feasible or too expensive. The annalist was in a unique position to record the events of Easter Rising 1916 in St Stephen’s Green, as the community room overlooked the Green. The annalist records the activities in the Green on Easter Monday, ‘men and women busily going to and fro in Stephen’s Green park and having locked the gates proceed to dig trenches. Where the trees did not hide the paths shrubs were torn up to cover the railings. The trams were next seen drawn up in line but all were empty.’ ‘Close and constant firing’, sniper fire, efforts to safeguard the boarders by moving to the rear of the building, loss of communication, food shortages, the daily attendance by various priests who celebrated daily mass and heard confession, the transfer of patients to the neighbouring St Vincent’s Hospital, the staggered observance of Truce & surrender, and the gradual resumption of normality are recorded by the annalist.