Letter from Joseph P. Walshe to Kathleen O'Connell (Dublin)
(A.20)

Dear Miss O'Connell,
The Taoiseach was anxious to know the real facts about Seán Russell's death.¹ I have now ascertained from Mrs. Clissmann (Budge Mulcahy),² who recently came to see me, that Frank Ryan was aboard the submarine with Seán Russell when the latter died. She did not say it quite so clearly as that, but she said that Frank Ryan and the commander of the submarine made a sworn statement to the German authorities about Russell's death on the submarine.

It was Mrs. Clissmann's first visit to the office after reaching Ireland, and I refrained from appearing too curious about the facts. I might so easily have frightened her off. However, I hope to be able to get her back to the subject when she comes to have lunch with me in a few weeks. There seems to be no doubt that the submarine was on its way to Ireland in August, 1940 (just after F.R. release).³