The Reluctant Taoiseach

by David McCullagh

158. 21 November 1931, McGilligan to Thomas, UCDA, P35/146.

  159. 23 November 1931, Dulanty to Walshe, UCDA, P35/146.

  160. 23 November 1931, Dulanty to Walshe, UCDA, P35/146.

  161. 24 November 1931, MacDonald to Cosgrave, NAI, S 5340/19.

  162. 11 December 1931, Dominions Secretary telegram, NAI, S 5340/19.

  163. Text of Statute of Westminster, NAI, S 5340/19.

  164. 6 December 1946, II, Costello article on developments since the Treaty.

  165. 2 June 1932, SéD, Vol 15, Col. 938.

  166. See McMahon, p. 47.

  167. Quoted in Fanning, Ronan, Independent Ireland, p. 111.

  168. Mansergh (ed.), p. 113.

  169. Mansergh (ed.), pp 204/5.

  170. Related by McGilligan to David Harkness. See Harkness, p. 225.

  Chapter 5 The Blueshirts will be victorious

  1. DÉD, 28 February 1934, Vol 50, Col. 2235.

  2. “Seven Days”.

  3. DÉD, 28 February 1934, Vol 50, Col. 2235.

  4. “Seven Days”.

  5. II, 28 February 1934.

  6. “Seven Days”.

  7. DÉD, 28 February 1934, Vol 50, Col 2234.

  8. DÉD, 28 February 1934, Vol 50, Col 2261.

  9. DÉD, 28 February 1934, Vol 50, Col 2295.

  10. 8 December 1969, Costello speech to retirement function, JACP, P190/350.

  11. II, 13 February 1932.

  12. The Anglo-Celt, 20 February 1932.

  13. II, 15 February 1932.

  14. 8 December 1969, Costello speech to retirement function, JACP, P190/350.

  15. The Anglo-Celt, 20 February 1932.

  16. FitzGerald, Garret, Ireland in the World: Further Reflections, p. 101.

  17. Details of payment for burial by JAC, JACP, P190/957.

  18. IT, 15 September 1930.

  19. II, 27 August 1932.

  20. Correspondence with John Costello.

  21. IT, 8 June 1933.

  22. IT, 20 July 1933.

  23. Costello interview, The Citizen, May 1967.

  24. II, 30 June 1936.

  25. McGarry, Fearghal, Eoin O’Duffy, p. 191.

  26. Costello interview, IT, 6 September 1967.

  27. II, 16 January 1933.

  28. Fanning, Ronan, Independent Ireland, p. 114.

  29. All election figures from http://electionsireland.org.

  30. 26 November 1932, The Anglo-Celt.

  31. Interview with Tom Finlay.

  32. 8 December 1969, Costello speech to retirement function, JACP, P190/350.

  33. IT, 14 January 1933, report of speech in Town Hall, Dun Laoghaire.

  34. 8 December 1969, Costello speech to retirement function, JACP, P190/350.

  35. Quoted in Regan, John M., The Irish Counter-Revolution, p. 322.

  36. 8 June 1933, parliamentary party minutes, UCDA, P39/MIN/3.

  37. 2 March 1933 and 18 May 1933, Parliamentary Party minutes, UCDA, P39/MIN/3.

  38. McGarry, p. 196.

  39. 14 March 1933, notes on O’Duffy’s dismissal, NAI, S 6485A.

  40. 22 February 1933, Seán Moynihan to O’Duffy, NAI, S 6485 A.

  41. DÉD, 1 March 1933, Vol 46, Cols 33–35.

  42. 2 March 1933, Parliamentary Party minutes, UCDA, P39/MIN/3.

  43. DÉD, 14 March 1933, Vol 46, Col 759, 794 and 807.

  44. 20 November 1978, note in NAI, 2008/148/28.

  45. Quoted in Regan, p. 296.

  46. Fanning, Ronan, The Irish Department of Finance, p. 237.

  47. DÉD, 31 March 1933, Vol 46, cols 1943 to 1947.

  48. DÉD, 26 May 1933, Vol 47, Col 1819.

  49. DÉD, 14 June 1933, Vol 48, Col 659.

  50. DÉD, 3 August 1933, Vol 49, Cols 1208–9.

  51. See file of Journals heavily annotated by Costello, JACP, P190/325.

  52. IT, 12 August 1932.

  53. Undated Mulcahy speech, JACP, P190/268.

  54. 28 April 1983, Seán O’Rourke report on RTÉ Radio 1 News at 1.30.

  55. Regan, p. 332.

  56. DÉD, 27 February 1936, Costello speech, Vol 60, Col. 1427/8.

  57. IT, 4 April 1935.

  58. DÉD, 9 July 1936, Vol. 63, Cols. 1230/1.

  59. 30 May 1933, Seán Moynihan to private secretaries of Ministers for Justice and Defence, NAI, S 6433.

  60. 21 July 1933, Cronin to Secretary, Executive Council, NAI, S 6433.

  61. 26 July 1933, McDunphy to Private Secretary, Minister for Finance, NAI, S 6433.

  62. Manning, Maurice, James Dillon, p. 74.

  63. DÉD, 1 August 1933, Vol 49, Cols 1041–3.

  64. McGarry, p. 218.

  65. II, 11 September 1933.

  66. “Seven Days”.

  67. “Seven Days”.

  68. IT, 2 November 1974, Costello interview.

  69. Regan, p. 343.

  70. McGarry, p. 221.

  71. 9 October 1934, Commandant Cronin speech, JACP, P190/316.

  72. II, 29 September 1933.

  73. 27 September 1933, parliamentary party minutes, in UCDA, P39/MIN/4.

  74. Ó Longaigh, Seosamh, Emergency Law in Independent Ireland, p. 147.

  75. DÉD, 28 September 1933, Vol 49, cols 1817–1827.

  76. II, 29 September 1933.

  77. Mulcahy, Risteard, Richard Mulcahy: A family memoir, p. 236.

  78. DÉD, 4 October 1933, cols 2047/8.

  79. 9 November 1933, FG Standing Committee minutes, UCDA, P39/MIN/2.

  80. 11 November 1933, FG heads of policy, JACP, P190/268.

  81. “Seven Days”.

  82. Regan, p. 347.

  83. Quoted in McGarry, p. 229.

  84. IT, 19 December 1933.

  85. Ó Longaigh, p. 152.

  86. McGarry, p. 229.

  87. Quoted in McGarry, p. 230.

  88. Summons in JACP, P190/16.

  89. JACP, P190/16.

  90. Judgment of Sullivan P, JACP, P190/16.

  91. Costello’s brief for Supreme Court Appeal, JACP, P190/16.

  92. IT, 21 July 1934.

  93. 24 July 1934, Cabinet Minutes, NAI, S 6647.

  94. Ó Longaigh, p. 281.

  95. DÉD, 19 April 1939, Vol. 75, Col. 729.

  96. McGarry, p. 232.

  97. DÉD, 18 April 1934, vol 51, cols 1885–1898.

  98. DÉD, 8 May 1934, Vol 52, Col 527.

  99. IT, 29 November 1934.

  100. Cronin, Mike, The Blueshirts in Irish Politics, p. 24.

  101. Undated memo, “The Opposition in the Dáil and Article 2A of the Constitution”, NAI, JUS 8/444.

  102. “Seven Days”.

  103. Tierney quoted in Manning, Maurice, James Dillon, p. 96.

  104. Tierney quoted in Regan, p. 365.

  105. 11 September 1934, O’Duffy to MacEoin, UCDA, P151/780.

  106. Manning, pp 99/100.

  107. 14 September 1934, Cosgrave to Costello, JACP, P190/330.

  108. 20 September 1934, FG Standing Committee minutes, UCDA, P39/MIN/2.

  109. 10 September 1936, Standing Committee minutes, UCDA, P39/MIN/2.

  110. Cronin, pp 25/6.

  111. 31 October 1934, parliamentary party minutes, UCDA, P39/MIN/4.

  112. DÉD, 1 April 1937, Vol. 66, Cols. 193/5

  113. DÉD, 4 April 1935, Vol. 55, cols. 1977/8.

  114. DÉD, 4 April 1935, Vol. 55, cols. 2024/5.

  115. DÉD, 22 May 1934, Vol. 52, Cols. 1478/9.

  116. DÉD, 11 April 1935, Vol 55, Col. 2365.

  117. 15 January 1936, Fine Gael party minutes, UCDA, P39/MIN/4.

  118. DÉD, 29 May 1935, Vol. 56, Col 2136.

  119. DÉD, 13 June 1934, Vol. 53, Cols 262/3.

  120. DÉD, 28 November 1934, Vol 54, Col 396.

  121. IT, 12 November 1934.

  122. DÉD, 14 February 1935, Vol. 54, Col. 2031.

  123. DÉD, 19 May 1937, Vol. 67, Col. 754.

  124. IT, 6 June 1935, report of by-election rally in Blackrock.

  125. DÉD,
19 November 1936, Vol 64. cols. 767/8.

  126. DÉD, 20 February 1934, Vol. 54, Col. 2152.

  127. DÉD, 18 November 1936, Vol 64, Cols 520–23.

  128. 13 February 1935, Fine Gael party minutes, UCDA, P39/MIN/4.

  129. DÉD, 20 February 1935, Vol. 54, Cols, 2140–2156.

  130. DÉD, 13 November 1935, Vol. 59, Cols. 768 and 838.

  131. 1 February 1936, D/Justice memorandum for Executive Council, NAI, S 8613.

  132. DÉD, 12 February 1936, Vol. 60, Cols. 547/8.

  133. DÉD, 26 June 1942, Vol. 87, Cols. 1912/13.

  134. IT, 25 November 1935.

  135. DÉD, 23 July 1935, Vol. 58, Cols. 1079–82.

  136. DÉD, 25 July 1935, Vol 58, Col. 1418.

  137. IT, 16 November 1935.

  138. DÉD, 16 June 1936, Vol 62, Col. 2368.

  139. DÉD, 3 June 1936, Vol. 62, Cols. 1656/7.

  140. DÉD, 30 June 1936, Vol. 63, Col. 2510.

  141. 19 February 1948, P. Nugent to Costello, JACP, P190/373.

  142. DÉD, 9 July 1936, Vol. 63, cols. 1218–23.

  143. DÉD, 20 May 1937, Vol. 67, Col. 859.

  144. IT, 3 June 1935, report of election meeting in Rathmines.

  145. DÉD, 25 June 1935, Vol. 57, Cols. 776/785.

  146. DÉD, 27 June 1935, Vol. 57, Cols. 1193/4.

  147. IT, 24 July 1935.

  148. DÉD, 3 February 1937, Vol. 65, cols. 54/5 and 78.

  149. DÉD, 3 February 1937, Vol. 65, col. 93.

  150. 17 January 1935, Standing Committee minutes, UCDA, P39/MIN/2.

  151. See meetings of 28 March 1935, 8 May 1935, and 19 September 1935, Standing Committee minutes, UCDA, P39/MIN/2.

  152. 6 November 1935, parliamentary party minutes, UCDA, P39/MIN/4.

  153. DÉD, 18 November 1936, Vol 64, Col. 554.

  154. David Neligan, quoted in Ferriter, Diarmaid, What If?, p. 265.

  155. SI, 3 November 1974.

  156. 24 July 1936, Costello to MacEntee, UCDA, P67/113.

  157. II, 19 June 1971, interview by Dermot Walsh on the eve of Costello’s eightieth birthday.

  158. 12 September 1935, Mulcahy to Cosgrave, JACP, P190/333.

  159. 8 December 1969, Costello speech at retirement function, JACP, P190/350.

  160. Quoted in McMahon, Deirdre, Republicans and Imperialists, pp 170/1.

  161. DÉD, 11 December 1936, Vol 64, Cols. 1293–1306.

  162. 15 December 1936, Mackenzie King diary, page 1.

  163. DÉD, 12 December 1936, Vol. 64, Cols 1432–7.

  164. DÉD, 12 December 1936, Vol. 64, Cols 1484–92.

  165. DÉD, 24 February 1937, Vol. 65, Cols 955 and 984. As it happens, the chaplain concerned was something of a menace to discipline, and O’Duffy would have been better off without him. See Stradling, Robert, The Irish and the Spanish Civil War, p. 117.

  166. DÉD, 19 May 1937, Vol. 67, Cols. 755/7 and 790/1.

  Chapter 6 No hope whatever

  1. DÉD, 11 December 1936, Vol. 64, Col. 1293.

  2. “Seven Days”.

  3. DÉD, 17 May 1934, Vol. 52, Col. 1193.

  4. Keogh, Dermot and McCarthy, Andrew J., The Making of the Irish Constitution, p. 65.

  5. Costello’s annotated copies of drafts of Bunreacht na hÉireann, JACP, P190/32.

  6. Hogan, Gerard, foreword to Keogh and McCarthy, p. 27.

  7. II, 6 May 1937, quoted in Keogh and McCarthy, pp 183/4.

  8. IT, 10 May 1937, quoted in Keogh and McCarthy, p. 185.

  9. DÉD, 11 May 1937, Vol. 67, Cols. 65 and 67.

  10. DÉD, 13 May 1937, Vol. 67, Cols. 463–5.

  11. DÉD, 28 May 1937, Vol. 67, Col. 1307.

  12. DÉD, 2 June 1937, Vol. 67, Cols. 1580/1 and 1612.

  13. DÉD, 4 June 1937, Vol. 67, Cols 1856 and 1858.

  14. IT, 6 January 1976.

  15. DÉD, 4 June 1937, Vol. 67, Col. 1882.

  16. DÉD, 4 June 1937, Vol. 67, Cols 1883/4.

  17. DÉD, 9 June 1937, Vol. 67, Col. 225/6.

  18. Keogh and McCarthy, p. 181.

  19. DÉD, 12 May 1937, Vol. 67. Cols. 301, 303 and 304.

  20. DÉD, 13 May 1937, Vol 67, Col. 458.

  21. DÉD, 26 May 1937, Vol. 67, Col. 1113.

  22. DÉD, 11 May 1937, Vol. 67, Col. 67.

  23. DÉD, 12 May 1937, Vol. 67, Col.s 305/6.

  24. DÉD, 2 June 1937, Vol. 67, Col. 1520.

  25. 8 June 1937, MacEntee to de Valera, with Revenue Commissioners memorandum, UCDA, P150/2441.

  26. Mary Robinson advanced just such a view during her successful campaign for the presidency in 1990, although she backtracked after a controversial suggestion that she could look then Taoiseach Charles Haughey in the eye and tell him to “back off”.

  27. DÉD, 25 May 1937, Vol. 67, Cols. 1031, 1033, 1035 and 1071/2.

  28. DÉD, 26 May 1937, Vol. 67, Cols. 1106, 1116 and 1128.

  29. DÉD, 2 June 1937, Vol. 67, Cols. 1631, 1528 and 1613.

  30. Notes for speech on new Constitution, JACP, P190/262.

  31. DÉD, 25 May 1937, Vol. 67, Cols. 970/1.

  32. DÉD, 26 May 1937, Vol. 67, Cols. 1178 and 1195/6.

  33. DÉD, 1 June 1937, Vol. 67, Cols. 1341–5.

  34. DÉD, 10 June 1937, Vol. 68, Cols. 264–6, 276, and 282–3.

  35. DÉD, 12 May 1937, Vol. 67, Col. 297.

  36. Quoted in Quinn, Ruairí, and Higgins, Ross, A history of Dublin South-east constituency, p. 36.

  37. DÉD, 29 November 1939, Vol. 78, Col. 522.

  38. DÉD, 28 November 1945, Vol. 98, Col. 1384.

  39. DÉD, 6 November 1946, Vol. 103, Col. 466.

  40. 12 August 1937, II.

  41. 22 September 1937, MacEntee to Boland, UCDA, P67/358.

  42. Figures calculated from Department of the Environment publication, Referenda Results 1937–2008, available through www.environ.ie/en/LocalGovernment/Voting/Referenda.

  43. DÉD, 7 October 1937, Vol. 69, Cols. 335 and 336.

  44. DÉD, 9 December 1937, Vol. 69, Cols. 2041 and 2043.

  45. Elaine Byrne, Political Corruption in Ireland, (forthcoming), Chapter Four.

  46. IT, 13 December 1937.

  47. DÉD, 30 March 1938, Vol. 70, Cols. 1196 and 1199.

  48. DÉD, 25 May 1938, Vol. 71, Col. 1864.

  49. IT, 26 May 1938.

  50. IT, 28 May 1938.

  51. 10 June 1938, MacEntee letter to voters, UCDA, P67/359.

  52. DÉD, 30 March 1938, Vol. 70, Col. 1196.

  53. DÉD, 23 February 1965, Vol. 214, Col. 921.

  54. DÉD, 9 May 1940, Vol. 80, Col. 345.

  55. IT, 18 August 1938.

  56. DÉD, 2 November 1938, Vol. 73, Col. 292.

  57. IT, 19 August 1938.

  58. IT, 28 October 1938.

  59. DÉD, 2 November 1938, Vol. 73, Col. 290.

  60. Ó Broin, Leon, Just Like Yesterday, p. 176.

  61. DÉD, 14 July 1938, Vol. 72, Cols. 833–5.

  62. In Mansergh, Diana (ed.), Nationalism and Independence, p. 157.

  63. DÉD, 2 March 1939, Vol. 74, Cols. 1408–10.

  64. DÉD, 19 April 1939, Vol. 75, Cols. 649, 667 and 728.

  65. DÉD, 2 September 1939, Vol. 77, Cols. 50, 51, 54 and 57.

  66. DÉD, 29 November 1939, Vol. 78, Cols. 524/5.

  67. DÉD, 3 January 1940, Vol. 78, Cols 1339/40.

  68. IT, 18 October 1940.

  69. IT, 9 December 1941.

  70. DÉD, 8 May 1940, Vol. 80, Col. 68.

  71. DÉD, 9 May 1940, Vol. 80, Cols. 332/5.

  72. DÉD, 16 January 1941, Vol. 81, Cols. 1448–52.

  73. DÉD, 20 May 1942, Vol. 86, Cols 2452–67.

  74. Interview with Declan Costello.

  75. DÉD, 20 May 1942, Vol. 86, Cols 2452-67.

  76. DÉD, 5 May 1942, Vol. 86, Col. 1541.

  77. 28 February 1938, George Gavan Duffy, President of the High Court, to Costello, NAI, S 9879 B.

  78. IT, 4 June 1941.

  79. DÉD, 11 June 1941, Vol. 83
, Cols. 1936/7 and 1964.

  80. DÉD, 19 November 1941, Vol. 85, Col. 837.

  81. DÉD, 3 December 1941, Vol. 85, Col. 1149.

  82. DÉD, 3 December 1941, Vol. 85, Col. 1152.

  83. DÉD, 25 February 1947, Vol. 104, Col. 1207.

  84. DÉD, 26 March 1947, Vol. 105, Col. 245.

  85. See NAI, S 9879 B.

  86. DÉD, 8 July 1941, Vol. 84, Cols. 1196/1200.

  87. DÉD, 28 January 1942, Vol. 85, Cols. 1469–1480; direct quotes from 1478 and 1480.

  88. DÉD, 29 January 1942, Vol. 85, Cols 1707/8.

  89. 15 February 1943, letter to Hyde, and undated opinion on Bill by Costello, JACP, P190/329.

  90. IT, 26 March 1943.

  91. IT, 16 April 1943.

  92. IT, 29 May 1943.

  93. IT, 22 June 1943.

  94. 19 April 1943, Burke to MacEntee, UCDA, P67/363.

  95. 10 June 1943, Lemass to MacEntee, and reply of same date, UCDA, P67/363.

  96. Interview with Richie Ryan.

  97. 28 June 1943, MacEntee to de Valera, UCDA, P67/366.

  98. 31 May 1949, MacEntee to de Valera, UCDA, P150/2980.

  99. 30 June 1943, FG parliamentary party minutes, UCDA, P39/MIN/4.

  100. 24 December 1943, Dillon to McGilligan, UCDA, P35/176.

  101. 18 January 1944, FG parliamentary party minutes, UCDA, P39/MIN/4.

  102. Manning, p. 190.

  103. 10 February 1944, Kearney to Ottawa, LAC, RG 25, Vol. 4480, File 50021-40, Part 1.

  104. Interview with Risteárd Mulcahy.

  105. Correspondence with John Costello.

  106. Correspondence with Georgina Sutton.

  107. 4 November 1970, Costello to M.G. Oddy, JACP, P190/924.

  108. Interview with Declan Costello, 1 October 2007.

  109. 24 February 1956, Hearne to Costello, NAI, S 16021 A.

  110. 4 November 1970, Costello to M.G. Oddy, JACP, P190/924.

  111. Interview with Declan Costello.

  112. IT, 12 January 1946.

  113. Ferriter, Diarmaid, The Transformation of Ireland, p. 496.

  114. Interview with Jacqueline Armstrong.

  115. IT, 13 December 1943.

  116. McCague, Eugene, Arthur Cox, pp 56/7.

  117. Interview with Tom Finlay.

  118. Undated speech, JACP, P190/281—this speech is wrongly filed with material from the 1932 and 1933 elections, but from the content is clearly from 1944.

  119. IT, 24 May 1944.

  120. IT, 20 May 1944.

  121. IT, 20 May 1944.

  122. 19 June 1944 and 27 September 1944, Fine Gael parliamentary party minutes, UCDA, P39/MIN/4.

  123. DÉD, 21 June 1944, Vol. 94, Cols. 870/1; 11 April 1945, Vol. 96, Cols 1833/4; 12 April 1945, Vol. 96, Col. 1973.

  124. DÉD, 4 July 1945, Vol. 97, Cols. 1887, 1890 and 1891.