Fourth copy of Proclamation

Madam, - Your edition of of December 9th reported that the State holds three copies of the 1916 Proclamation (at Leinster House…

Madam, - Your edition of of December 9th reported that the State holds three copies of the 1916 Proclamation (at Leinster House, the National Museum and National Library).

In fact another, and possibly the most interesting copy of all, is on public display in Kilmainham Gaol (now in the care of the Office of Public Works). It was donated to the Kilmainham Gaol Restoration Society in 1963 by Kathleen Clarke, wife of Thomas Clarke, one of the Proclamation's signatories. Clarke had sent the copy to his wife as it rolled off the press.

Also on display in Kilmainham Gaol is an equally interesting and rarer "half-Proclamation" (a shortage of metal type required the paper to be passed through the printer twice to be printed in full).

A (lower) half-Proclamation was presented at Sean MacDermott's court martial and, showing him to be one of the signatories, was key evidence in securing his death sentence.

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Kilmainham Gaol is open to the public seven days a week. - Yours, etc.,

PAT COOKE, Curator, Kilmainham Gaol, Dublin 8.