Tomás Bairéad Papers, Letters from Morchadh Ó Dabhorionn (710 Bellavie Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15226, USA) to Bairéad, 1966 – 1973, Letter

Remembering old friends and times past (using some Irish phrases), such as a disputed 'tug-of-war' match which later resulted in a fight in Oughterard (pp2-3), saying "that bringing all those things back to mind make (sic) me feel good" (p3).  He laments the passing of Pádraig Ó Droighnéain, "I sure gave Padraig credit for making a number of us who were active at that time better Irishmen and more informed young men than you could find in many parishes around Galway" (p3), and that Ó Drogihnéain "took an active part in the Gaelic League, the GAA, the beginning of the Volunteers, IRB, etc…I always looked upon him as my best friend not alone a good friend but a good teacher as well" (p4).  He tells how he loves America but that there is nothing "nearer to me than Érin go Brac with all its faults and shortcoming it is to me the greatest and is closest to my heart.  It was too bad that fate made me leave there for as you have said more than once before it was there that I did belong" (p5).  He gives credit to Bairéad "for getting Moycullen into the G.A.A. Where I got my Baptism of Nationalism with the Gaelic League."  He also refers to Fianna Fáil, Jack Lynch , ((1917-1999) Fianna Fáil TD, and Taoiseach (1966-1973)), and the 1969 election which he will be able to read about in the Irish World newspaper. He reminisces about canvassing in the 1918 election and "trying to arrange for transportation and how illiterates could vote for our candidate" (p6), he also congratulates Bairéad on the success of his books.