The Reluctant Taoiseach

by David McCullagh

  231. 22 August 1950, Bodkin to Costello, Bodkin Papers, TCD, Ms 7003/167.

  232. See 30 November 1950, Bodkin to Costello, JACP, P190/411.

  233. 16 December 1950, Bodkin to Costello, Bodkin Papers, TCD, Ms 7003/180.

  234. 1 January 1951, Costello to Bodkin, Bodkin Papers, TCD, Ms 7003/185.

  235. 29 January 1951, Bodkin to Costello, Bodkin Papers, TCD, Ms 7003/186.

  236. 16 February 1951, Costello to Bodkin, Bodkin Papers, TCD.

  237. Bodkin to Paddy Lynch, 25 April 1951, Bodkin Papers, TCD, Ms 7003/199b.

  238. Kennedy, pp 96/7.

  239. Bruce Arnold, ‘Politics and the Arts in Ireland’ in Litton, Frank (ed.), Unequal Achievement, p. 287 and 285.

  240. Kennedy, p. 94.

  241. 26 January 1952, IT and IP.

  Chapter 8 Mr Costello was rarin’ to go (pp 197–231)

  1. Boland manuscript, p. 25.

  2. 1 June 1950, Chapedlaine to Norman Robertson, Ottawa, LAC, RG 25, Vol 4401, File 50021-40, Part 3.

  3. A statue of her consort, Prince Albert, remains in the Leinster House grounds, on the Merrion Square side.

  4. O’Higgins, T.F., A Double Life, pp 132/3.

  5. 10 July 1948, Rugby to Machtig, TNA, DO 35/3957.

  6. DÉD, 30 June 1948, Vol 111, Col 1785. The car park plan had originally been proposed the previous December by the then Fianna Fáil government.

  7. 10 July 1948, Rugby to Machtig, TNA, DO 35/3957.

  8. 21 July 1948, Machtig to Sir Alan Lascelles, Private Secretary to the King, and 27 July 1948, Lascelles to Machtig, TNA, DO 35/3957.

  9. NAI, S 6412 A.

  10. I paid a visit when I was in Australia in 1999. O’Higgins and Rugby were right!

  11. Fanning, Independent Ireland.

  12. 16 October 1947, note of meeting with de Valera, TNA, DO 35/3926.

  13. 21 October 1947, Presidential (International Powers and Functions) Bill, 1947, UCDA, P150/2970.

  14. 27 January 1948, Rugby to Machtig, TNA, DO/130/93.

  15. 28 January 1948, Rugby to Machtig, TNA, DO/130/93.

  16. FitzGerald, Garret, All in a life, p. 45.

  17. Summary of Costello election address, UCDA, P104/1468.

  18. 21 February 1948, Rugby to Secretary of State, TNA, DO/130/93.

  19. II, 23 February 1948.

  20. MacBride, Seán, That Day’s Struggle, p. 156.

  21. 24 July 1948, M/EA memorandum for Government, NAI, S 14210 B/1.

  22. DÉD, 23 July 1948, Vol 112, Col. 1520.

  23. Undated FitzGerald memorandum to Costello, JACP, P190/390.

  24. 31 March 1948, Gallman, London, to Department of State, USNA, RG 84, Dublin Legation, Security Segregated Records, 1936–49, Box 15, 710 Political Relations, Treaties.

  25. 8 July 1948, Costello to MacWhite, UCDA, P194/564.

  26. 13 October 1996, interview with Risteárd Mulcahy.

  27. IT, 7 February 1951.

  28. Mansergh, Nicholas, Survey of British Commonwealth Affairs, p. 279.

  29. 5 July 1948, Jowitt to Costello, NAI, Taoiseach’s Private Office, 97/9/862. Jowitt was looking for the loan of a car while he was on holiday, so he may have been attempting to butter up the Taoiseach.

  30. Cole, John, As It Seemed To Me, p. 11.

  31. 16 August 1948, Garrett to Department of State, USNA, RG 84, Dublin Legation, Security Segregated Records, 1936–49, Box 15, 710 Political Relations, Treaties.

  32. 22 June 1948, Nolan to Moynihan, and 23 June 1948, Moynihan note, NAI, S 13760 A.

  33. Interview with Patrick Lynch.

  34. He had been expelled after opposing the agreement with the United States on Marshall Aid.

  35. DÉD, 28 July 1948, Vol. 112, Col. 1555.

  36. DÉD, 5 August 1948, Vol. 112, Cols. 2105–7.

  37. 29 July 1948, Turgeon to Ottawa, LAC, RG 25, Vol. 4480, file 50021-40 Part 1.

  38. DÉD, 6 August 1948, Vol. 112, Col. 2382.

  39. Costello memorandum on repeal of External Relations Act, JACP, P190/546.

  40. 11 August 1948, Rugby to Machtig, TNA, PREM 8/1010.

  41. 7 December 1948, Turgeon dispatch, LAC, RG 25, Vol. 4480, File 50021-40 Part 2.

  42. 17 August 1948, CRO memo, TNA, PREM 8/1010.

  43. 22 August 1948, Attlee note, and 23 August 1948, CRO telegram to UK High Commissioner in Canada, TNA, PREM 8/1010.

  44. 9 September 1948, M/EA memo for Government, NAI, S 14333A.

  45. 23 September 1948, Dulanty to Boland, UCDA, P104/4447.

  46. 18 August 1948, memorandum for Government, NAI, S 14333A.

  47. 19 August 1948, Cabinet Minutes, NAI, S 14333A.

  48. Lynch, Patrick, “Pages from a Memoir” in Lynch and Meenan (eds), p. 46.

  49. MacBride, p. 174.

  50. 9 September 1948, M/EA memo for Govt, NAI, S 14333A.

  51. 7 September 1948, Rugby to Machtig, TNA, DO/130/93.

  52. 9 September 1948, Cabinet Minutes, NAI, S 14333A.

  53. 23 September 1948, Dulanty to Boland, UCDA, P104/4447.

  54. “Seven Days”.

  55. DÉD, 6 August 1948, Vol. 112, Cols 2440/1.

  56. Costello memorandum on repeal of External Relations Act, JACP, P190/546.

  57. 7 August 1948, Ó Dálaigh to de Valera, with draft of “The Presidential (International Powers and Fuctions) Bill, 1948”, UCDA, P150/2970.

  58. Costello memorandum, JACP, P190/546.

  59. McDermott, Eithne, Clann na Poblachta, p. 114.

  60. DÉD, 21 July 1959, Vol. 176, Col. 1602.

  61. Notes on conversations, Frederick Boland, 1952, in Mansergh, Diana (ed.), Nationalism and Independence, p. 189.

  62. RTÉ Archive Tape A 4184: The Republic of Ireland Act, 1948. Tx 26 March 1989.

  63. Manning, Maurice, James Dillon, p. 244.

  64. 7 September 1948, Rugby to Machtig, TNA, DO/130/93.

  65. 30 September 1948, Rugby to Machtig, TNA, DO/130/93.

  66. 9 September 1948, M/EA memo for government, NAI, S 14387.

  67. 9 August 1948, Rugby to Machtig, recording a meeting involving them, Noel-Baker and Cabinet Secretary Sir Norman Brook on 5 August, i.e. the day before the Adjournment Debate. TNA, DO/130/93.

  68. 18 May 1957, Rugby to de Valera, in UCDA, P150/2940. The irony of a British official complaining to de Valera about unilateral action appears not to have occurred to Rugby.

  69. 27 March 1948, Costello to MacWhite, UCDA, P194/564, and 3 March 1948, Mulcahy to MacWhite, loc. cit, P194/567.

  70. 2 September 1948, W. H. Measures to F.M. Maclennan, LAC, RG 25, Vol. 3981, File 9908-T-1-40.

  71. 30 August 1948, King Diaries.

  72. 16 August 1948, Turgeon to Pearson, and 25 August 1948, Pearson to Turgeon, LAC, RG 25, Vol. 4480, File 50021-40 Part 1.

  73. 21 August 1948, Boland to Hearne, UCDA, P104/4442.

  74. 14 August 1948, Turgeon to Ottawa and reply, LAC, RG 25, Vol. 4480; File 50021-40 Part 1

  75. Unless otherwise stated, all details related to the trip come from Lynch’s diary of the visit, JACP, P190/526.

  76. See memo on cost of trip, NAI, S 14331.

  77. MacBride, p. 172.

  78. Boland manuscript, p. 24

  79. Text of speech, JACP, P190/532.

  80. 24 September 1948, High Commissioner to Noel Baker, TNA, DO 35/2749.

  81. Memorandum in JACP, P190/546.

  82. 14 December 1949, David Johnson memorandum of conversation with President O’Kelly, LAC, RG 25, Vol 4401, File 50021-40 Part 3.

  83. Undated and unsigned memorandum, which from internal evidence was written by Joseph Chapdelaine, chargé d’affaires, around March 1950. LAC, RG 25, Vol 4480, File 50021-40 Part 2.

  84. 4 September 1948, King Diaries.

  85. 5 October 1948, Priestman to Ottawa, LAC, RG 25, Vol. 4480, File 50021-40 Part 1.

  86. Table plan for dinner, JACP, P190/535.

  87. 23 January 1949, Hearne to Costello, JACP, P190/414.

  88. 28
February 1949, Memorandum for Pearson on Costello visit, LAC, RG 25, Vol. 4480, File 50021-40 Part 2.

  89. Ibid.

  90. 4 September 1948, King Diaries.

  91. 7 December 1948, Turgeon despatch, LAC, RG 25, Vol 4480, File 50021-40 Part 2.

  92. 28 February 1949, Memorandum for Pearson on Costello visit, LAC, RG 25, Vol 4480, File 50021-40 Part 2.

  93. 21 December 1948, Rugby to Machtig, TNA, DO/130/94.

  94. 14 December 1949, Johnson Memorandum on conversation with President O’Kelly, LAC, RG 25, Vol. 4401, File 50021-40, Part 3.

  95. 1 June 1950, Chapedlaine to Norman Robertson, Ottawa, LAC, RG 25, Vol 4401, File 50021-40, Part 3.

  96. Stanford, William Bedell, Memoirs, p. 128.

  97. Lynch, Patrick, “More pages from an Irish memoir”, in English and Skelly (eds), Ideas Matter, pp 126/7

  98. Text of broadcast, JACP, P190/528.

  99. 14 October 1948, Escott Reid, Ottawa, to Turgeon, LAC, RG 25, Vol 4480, File 50021-40.

  100. II, 7 September 1948.

  101. IT, 3 January 1979, reprint of letter to Norton from Costello, dated 11 September 1948.

  102. 9 September 1948, Garrett to Secretary of State, USNA, RG 84 Dublin Legation Security Segregated Records, 1936–49, Box 16, 800 Ireland.

  103. IT, 3 January 1979. He would of course have been better off if he had said this to MacDermott, O’Kelly, Stanford and others as well.

  104. SI, 5 September 1948.

  105. IT, 8 September 1967.

  106. Notes on conversations, in Mansergh (ed.), p. 186.

  107. Patrick Lynch, “Pages from a Memoir”, p. 54.

  108. Keane, Elizabeth, Seán MacBride, p. 106.

  109. Interview with Louie O’Brien, 24 July 1996.

  110. Patrick Lynch, “Pages from a Memoir”, p. 54.

  111. 7 September 1948, Rugby to Machtig, TNA, DO/130/93.

  112. 26 August 1948, memorandum, in LAC, RG 25, Vol. 3981, File 9908-T-1-40.

  113. Costello memorandum, JACP, P190/546.

  114. Interview with Patrick Lynch.

  115. RTÉ television documentary “The Republic: Leaving the Commonwealth”, tx. 15 April 1999.

  116. Boland manuscript, p. 24.

  117. IT, 4 July 1962, Lord Rugby Remembers.

  118. IT, 10 July 1962.

  119. 9 September 1948, Rugby telegram to Secretary of State, TNA, DO/130/93.

  120. Boland manuscript, p. 26.

  121. 7 September 1948, King Diaries.

  122. 9 September 1948, Hearne memorandum, UCDA, P104/4473.

  123. 9 September 1948, King Diaries.

  124. 11 September 1948, Costello to Norton, reprinted in IT, 3/1/79.

  125. 9 September 1948, King Diaries.

  126. Costello memorandum, JACP, P190/546.

  127. 9 September 1948, King Diaries.

  128. 10 September 1948, King Diaries.

  129. 5 January 1949, Costello to MacWhite, UCDA, P194/564.

  130. Lynch diary of visit, JACP, P190/526.

  131. Interview with Patrick Lynch.

  132. SI, 3 October 1948.

  133. 6 October 1948, Priestman to Ottawa, LAC, RG 25, Vol 4480, File 50021-40 Part 1.

  134. Interview with Patrick Lynch.

  135. Browne, Noël, Against the Tide, p. 130.

  136. 7 October 1948, note from Nolan, NAI, S 14470 A.

  137. Entry for 7 October 1948, NAI, Taoiseach’s Private Office, 97/9/928.

  138. Note by Nolan on draft Cabinet minute, 11 October 1948, in NAI, S 14331. In the official records the minute is dated 11 October 1948.

  139. RTÉ radio documentary, “The Republic of Ireland Act, 1948”. Tx 26 March 1989.

  140. In the National Archives, the note is stamped 8 October, presumably the date Costello gave it to his officials; it is clear from Rugby’s records that it was handed over on the seventh. See NAI, S 14387, and Rugby telegram, 7 October 1948 in TNA, DO/130/93.

  141. 11 October 1948, Cabinet minutes.

  142. 26 October 1948, Rugby to Machtig, TNA, DO/130/93.

  143. 24 November 1948, Turgeon to Ottawa, LAC, RG 25, Vol. 4480, File 50021-40 Part 1.

  144. 15 October 1948, Rugby to Secretary of State, and 21 October 1948, Rugby to Machtig, TNA, DO130/93.

  145. 28 October 1948, Chapin to Washington, USNA, FG 84, Dublin Legation Security Segregated Records, 1936–49, Box 16, 800—Ireland.

  146. 12 October 1948, Rugby to CRO, TNA, DO/35/3962.

  147. 13 October 1948, unsigned memo for Attlee, TNA, DO/35/3962.

  148. 19 November 1948, Machtig to Rugby, TNA, DO/130/93.

  149. 30 October 1948, draft bill, NAI, S 14387 A.

  150. Costello’s copy of the Bill is in NAI, S 14387 B.

  151. Fanning, Independent Ireland, p. 175.

  152. 15 November 1948, note by Nolan, NAI, S 14387 B.

  153. Undated Alexis FitzGerald memorandum, JACP, P190/390.

  154. IT, 20 April 1949.

  155. IT, 22 May 1951, and letter from Alexis FitzGerald, 23 May 1951.

  156. Interview with Ronan Keane.

  157. Undated Alexis FitzGerald memorandum, JACP, P190/390.

  158. DÉD, 24 February 1949, Vol 114, Cols 493/4.

  159. UCDA, P104/1802.

  160. DÉD, 7 April 1949, Vol 114, Col 2519.

  161. DÉD, 24 November 1948, Vol 113, Cols 347, 348, 363, 374, 376, 378, 379 and 380.

  162. 25 November 1948, Rugby to Machtig, TNA, DO/130/93.

  163. 9 January 1949, Eavan Costello to Bodkin, TCD, Bodkin Papers, Ms 7003/130.

  164. 25 November 1948, Cabinet conclusions, Prime Minister report on talks with Attlee on 20 November 1948, PRONI, CAB 4/769.

  165. 30 December 1948, Cabinet meeting, PRONI, CAB 4/773.

  166. 16 December 1948, Standing Committee minutes, UUP Papers, PRONI, D/1327/7/33.

  167. 20 January 1949, Standing Committee minutes, UUP Papers, PRONI, D/1327/7/34.

  168. IT, 26 January 1949.

  169. M/EA memo, NAI, S 9361.

  170. 28 January 1949, Chapin to Washington, USNA, RG 84, Dublin Security Segregated Records, Box 18, 350, Partition 1949.

  171. 21 March 1949, Attlee to Brooke, PRONI, CAB 9B/2676.

  172. 6 April 1949, Costello to de Valera, and reply 7/4/49, UCDA, P150/2990.

  173. 18 April 1949, text of broadcast, JACP, P190/467.

  174. Diary entries, 28 April 1949 and 3 May 1949, quoted in Barton, Brian, Brookeborough, p. 232.

  175. 5 May 1949, de Valera to Costello, and reply, same date, UCDA, P150/2990.

  176. 5 May 1949, Garrett to Sec of State, USNA, RG 84, Dublin Legation Security Segregated Records, 1936–49, Box 17, 320.1.

  177. 7 May 1949, Cabinet conclusion, NAI, S 14528.

  178. 8 May 1949, Laithwaite to CRO, TNA, DO 35/3971.

  179. 10 May 1949, Johnson to Ottawa and 20/5/49, Johnson to Pearson, LAC, RG 25, Vol 4480, File 50021-40, Part 2.

  180. DÉD, 10 May 1949, Vol 115, Cols 787/8, 791/2, 801/2, 807.

  181. 19 May 1949, Laithwaite to Sec of State, TNA, DO/130/99.

  182. Interview with Richie Ryan.

  183. 4 May 1949, Garrett to Sec of State, USNA, RG 84, Dublin Legation Security Segregated records, 1936–49, Box 17, 320.1

  184. 20 May 1949, Johnson to Pearson, LAC, RG 25, Vol. 4480, File 50021-40, Part 2.

  185. Ibid.

  186. Feeney, Brian, Sinn Féin, p. 193.

  187. 25 October 1949, Laithwaite to Sir Percivale Liesching, TNA, CAB 21/407.

  188. 15 April 1948, Hearne to Sec, D/EA, NAI, S 14291 A/1.

  189. 4 May 1948, Hickerson to Garrett, USNA, RG 84, Dublin Legation Security Segregated Records, 1936–49, Box 15, 710.

  190. CIA report on Ireland, 1 April 1949, Truman Library, HST Papers, PSF, Box 256, SR-48.

  191. 24 January 1950, G.W. Perkins to Secretary of State, USNA, RG 59, Decimal File, Box 3289, 611.41/1-2450.

  192. 27 December 1948, Hickerson to Garrett, USNA, RG 84, Dublin Leg
ation Security Segregated Records, 1936–49, Box 15, 711.

  193. 10 January 1949, Hickerson to Miller, British Embassy, Washington, TNA, DO/35/2749.

  194. 14 January 1949, Rugby to Liesching, with memorandum of Pritchard discussion with Boland, TNA, DO/35/2749.

  195. 8 February 1949, MacBride aide-memoire to United States, NAI, S 14291 A/1.

  196. 14 April 1949, Hickerson to Garrett, USNA, RG 84, Dublin Legation Security Segregated Records, 1936–49, Box 17, 320.1.

  197. 13 April 1949, MacWhite to Costello, UCDA, P194/564.

  198. Boland memoir, pp 21–3.

  199. 3 November 1948, Chapin to Secretary of State, USNA, RG 84, Dublin Security Segregated Records, Box 18, 821: Army Manoeuvres: Survey.

  200. 9 May 1950, Laithwaite record of conversation with MacBride, and 30 May 1950, Laithwaite record of conversation with Boland, TNA, DO 130/110.

  201. 2 May 1951, record of discussion at McKee Barracks, UCDA, P151/503.

  202. 15 August 1950, State Department policy statement on Ireland, USNA, RG 59, Department of State Decimal File, 1950–54, Box 2768, 611.40A/8-1550.

  203. 15 January 1951, Dillon to Costello, JACP, P190/562.

  204. 23 March 1951, Acheson memorandum of conversation with MacBride and Truman, USNA, RG 59, Department of State Decimal File, 1950–54, Box 2768, 611.40A/3-2351.

  205. 3 November 1950, Laithwaite review of affairs, TNA, FO 371/84832.

  206. 3 April 1951, Troy to Laithwaite, TNA, DO 130/112.

  207. 20 March 1951, IP, and 22 March 1951, Moynihan minute, NAI, S 9361 C.

  208. Cosgrave quoted in Collins, Stephen, The Cosgrave Legacy, pp 69/70.

  209. Memorandum, JACP, P190/546.

  Chapter 9 A very happy success for the Church (pp 232–258)

  1. DÉD, 12 April 1951, Vol 125, Col 767.

  2. 15 April 1951, McQuaid to Felici, McQuaid Papers, DDA, AB8/B/XVIII/Box 5—Health, Mother and Child Scheme, Folder: Mother and Child Scheme, 1951.

  3. 23 February 1948, Costello to Pope; 29 February 1948, reply NAI, S 9469 A.

  4. 10 March 1948, Costello to MacWhite, UCDA, P194/564.

  5. 10 April 1951, D’Alton to McQuaid, DDA, McQuaid Papers, AB8/B/XVIII/Box 5—Health, Mother and Child Scheme, Folder: Mother and Child Scheme, 1951.

  6. SI, 12 April 1998.

  7. “Seven Days”.

  8. Bolster, Evelyn, The Knights of Saint Columbanus, pp 14 and 95.

  9. 28 February 1948, Costello to McQuaid; 2 March 1949, Costello to McQuaid; 9 May 1950, Griffin to Costello; 22 May 1950, Costello to McQuaid; DDA, McQuaid Papers, AB8/b/XVIII, Mr John A. Costello (first coalition period) 1948–51.