Frank Cunnane, along with five other men, was executed on April 11, 1923. Although the letter appears to have been written in Galway, the execution was carried out in Tuam. people have heard that Frank was not one of the six men initially selected for execution and that he voluntarily replaced a married man with children. In the Reception Ward Galway Gaol, 1923 My Dearest Mother, You are aware perhaps by now that I am one of the destined by God, to swell the roll of that martyred band who died for Ireland. As I go to my Maker I die as I as I lived believing that I have done the best for my Country and I trust that my sacrifice will suffice atone for anything that has remained undone by me; that I have conscientiously done everything for the better interests of my country, according to my rights. I do not doubt, therefore it is with composure I accept my sentence, bearing no malice or hatred against any living soul. To all my friends too numerous to mention, give them my best and sincerest for their many kindnesses during and after my intercourses with them. I am more than grateful and I trust that God will in some way repay them as I intended doing, but now that I am leaving them for a ‘Happier Exchange’, I am debarred from fulfilling my desires in this ‘World of Sorrows’. Well Mother dear, I know my death will shock you and all home, but my dying wish is that no grief or sorrow be unnecessarily displayed by any of you for the end must come some time and it is now as welcome as at any other future time, when perhaps I should be half as well prepared to meet ‘Him’ who sent me and know that he will accept my sacrifice for any forgotten faults which I may have committed during my lifetime. The death is a glorious one of which I am unworthy. There may be some who may look upon our line of action as being a hopeless and foolish one but the voices of Pearse and Plunkett and those who died for the same cause in 1916 inspired me to follow in their footsteps and I feel confident the vindication of this “Sacred Cause” will come in some generation or another. Cheer up, Mother dear, I shall meet you in Heaven in the near future, though I hope your life upon this earth will be long and happy so much so that you will be recompensed in some small measure for all trouble in earlier life. Give to all my neighbours and companions of my childhood my dying wishes (and to my loyal comrades a fond farewell) and let no act of vengeance mar the Cause for which I die. Let that sanctified flag be borne aloft unstained with the son of Cain, so that the world can see that we are not waging a war of Bolshevism of which the IRA is accused. I am sending you a few souvenirs including a pair of beads I got from Cissie during the B and T regime. In them find consolation and do not worry. Now I must finish finally and eternally on this side of the grave so I send you, Father, Bertie, Tessie, Cissie, Gerard, Willie, John, Tommie, Martin, Charles, Joe and Vincent my blessing and good wishes. May God bless you all and may we all meet in Heaven, is the sincere wish of your dutiful son. Frank
Posted on: Wed, 07 May 2014 18:05:05 +0000
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