His illness had grown serious; an operation was necessary; it passed over hopefully, and on Tuesday, March 5th, when the debate resumed, Mr.Clancy had a telegram saying that he was practically out of danger.
It was plain in these days that we were nearing a most critical decision, and Nationalist opinion was profoundly uneasy.

Many men were drifting back to Redmond's view, and recoiled from the prospect of dividing the Convention once more into its original component parts--Nationalists on the one side, Unionists on the other.

It was proposed that on the Wednesday Nationalists should meet and, if possible, concert joint action; if not, determine definitely each to go our own ways; for a painful part of the situation was that all of us had been used to act together, and none now felt himself free of some obligation.

This had to be cleared up When we came down to Trinity College that morning, the news met us that Redmond was dead.
The Convention adjourned its work, although time pressed most seriously, till after the interment.

Ireland is a country where a public man can always count on a good funeral.