Denny Lane Papers Descriptive List (Ref. U611)

U611/

8 1843 Letter from Thomas Davis to ‘Dear Lane’, Denny Lane, Cork. ‘The songs for which the initial sketches will first be needed are Erin our Own, The West’s Asleep, Fag a Bealach, the Hymn of Freedom, The Volunteer’s Song & The Union. Pray speak to Watson about them…’. Gives a reminder of other matters outstanding such as ‘Mem, to send me 10s your own subscription…’. Davis relates certain ideas concerning illustrations for a piece on Owen Roe such as ‘First Verse English official plotting or arranging the poisoning…’ and ‘8 shall we venture to shadow a patriot chief on his ruined country and grieving…’. (Letter incomplete). 4pp 9 1843 Letter, from Thomas Davis to ‘Dear Lane’, Denny Lane, Cork. Mentions ‘two figures from Canova’ in the University for September ‘engraved on stone as rapidly as they could have been sketched on paper…You should get some Cork men to this, If your city wont be a vigorous politician let it at least be a graceful & accomplished Sybarite & not a Yankee sensualist…’ Asks Lane if he will ever effect his Hall project, ‘For God’s sake get that & Repeal Reading Rooms up…’. Notes that OC [Daniel O’Connell] concurs in this system but dislikes any general rule. Asks Lane to bring ‘piles of Irish airs (new old ones)’ with him in November. 3pp 10 24 January 1844 Letter, from Thomas Davis, 61 Baggot Street, Dublin, to ‘My dear Armstrong’. Contains questions concerning Lord Plunkett and Robert Emmet which Armstrong has then answered in the spaces provided by Davis. Questions concern Lord Plunkett’s speech on Emmet’s trial (1803) such as the possible acquaintance of Plunkett with Emmet, and whether Plunkett pressed Crown’s evidence on the insistence of Attorney General O’Grady because he ‘held the Junior’s brief on that occasion and was professionally bound to obey his senior’. To Davis’ question ‘Why did he make so bitter a speech ?’ Armstrong replies that, the speech was not ‘…so much a personal attack upon Emmet as upon

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