On Tuesday 17 May Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan launched The End of all Thing Earthly in the Diocese of Waterford and Lismore. Local historian Eugene Broderick spoke about the book and the importance of the faith of the leaders of the 1916 Rising.
The End of All Things Earthly is edited by David Bracken from the Diocese of Limerick and it features contributions from a selection of Irish academics and historians in seventeen concise, yet richly detailed, essays that provide a fascinating insight into the faith profiles of the leaders of the Easter Rising.
The essays trace pivotal movements: from the horrors witnessed by Roger Casement in colonial Africa and South America; to the radicalisation of Patrick Pearse, whose writing reflected his Catholic upbringing; to the quiet prison cells in the sober aftermath of the Rising, where the likes of Con Colbert and Joseph Plunkett found consolation in their faith. The personal letters and testimonies of the leaders contained in the book provide a window into the minds of these revolutionaries as they faced their deaths.
Including rarely seen photographs and transcripts, The End of All Things Earthly, offers a poignant perspective on the events of 1916, and explores the spirituality that shaped those who gave their lives to Ireland’s independence.
David Bracken, who has put the book together, is Archivist at Limerick Diocesan Archive. Contributors to the book include:
- Damien Burke, Assistant Archivist at the Irish Jesuit Archives.
- Bernie Deasy, Archivist at the Delaney Archive, which cares for the archival collections of the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin, the Patrician Brothers, Brigidine Sisters and Carlow College.
- Noelle Dowling, Archivist at Dublin Diocesan Archives
- Roddy Hegarty, Director of the Cardinal Tomán Ó Fiaich Memorial Library and Archive
- Brian Kirby, Archivist at the Irish Capuchin Provincial Archives.
The End of All Things Earthly is published by Veritas Publications and is available in their stores nationwide and online www.veritas.ie.
