Ná cuir ainm Casement le ‘liosta tragóideach na bhfear a cuireadh chun báis’ – achainí Chonradh na Gaeilge i 1916

Cothrom an ama seo céad bliain ó shin, scríobh Rúnaí Chraobh Londan Chonradh na Gaeilge chuig Príomh-Aire na Breataine, HH Asquith, agus an Rúnaí Baile, Herbert Samuel, le himpí orthu a bheo a ligean le Roger Casement.

Reáchtáil Ard-Chraobh Chonradh na Gaeilge i Londain cruinniú speisialta ar an 25 Iúil 1916 ag ar ritheadh rún achainí a dhéanamh ar son Casement, a raibh “seirbhís luachmhar” tugtha aige don Chonradh.

Scríobh Seaghan Ua Corcoráin, rúnaí na craoibhe, chuig Asquith agus Samuel lena rá leo nach raibh “aon bhunús” leis na tuairiscí gur bhraith muintir na hÉireann go mba mhór an feall é mura gcuirfí Casement chun bháis i ndiaidh do phianbhreith an bháis a bheith curtha ar chúigear déag eile a raibh baint acu leis an Éirí Amach.

Dúirt sé go raibh an Conradh cinnte go raibh “meon mhuintir na hÉireann” á chur in iúl acu agus iad ag cur in aghaidh ainm Casement a chur le “liosta tragóideach na bhfear a cuireadh chun bháis ó bhí Seachtain na Cásca ann”.

Seo thíos cóip den litir a foilsíodh in The Cork Examiner cothrom an lae seo céad bliain ó shin:

Sir, – I have been instructed by the Ard-Chraobh of the Gaelic League of London to forward you the following resolution passed unanimously at a special meeting held yesterday. A copy of the resolution has been forwarded to the Prime Minister and another to the Home Secretary: “In view of the statements which have been circulated that there is a feeling in Ireland that failure to inflict the capital penalty on Roger Casement would be unjust to those Irishmen who have been executed in connection with the Irish Rising, we, the governing body of the Gaelic League of London, speaking on behalf of an important branch of an influential Irish organisation, to which Roger Casement has rendered valuable service, desire to record our conviction that these statements are utterly unfounded. We are confident that we are voicing the sentiment of the Irish people in protesting against addition of Roger Casement’s name to the tragic list of those executed since Easter Week.” – Your obedient servant,

Seaghan Ua Corcoráin