Letter from Arthur Murray to Hagan

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DigitalGeorgetown

Pontifical Irish College

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Murray, Arthur J.

Hagan, John, 1873-1930

Description

Holograph letter from Art Ó Muireadaigh (Arthur Murray), Grand Séminaire de Saint-Sulpice, 857 Rue de Sherbrooke Ouest, Montréal (Canada), to (Hagan). Arrangements for the sending of relics and crosses of his own design. Then at length commenting on the hopeless Irish situation: often asking himself why the hierarchy has been acting as they did since the 'so called' Civil War began; they could have leapt into the breach to save the pact, 'an unanimous Irish law binding on all Irish citizens'. Archbishops Mannix and Walsh would have done so. Also criticising their compromised statement with which they could have saved religion. Then listing incidents, in varying detail, where local clergy (Kerry, Dublin, Cork) refused dead republicans a place in the cemetery or the church, most prominently a young man of 19 in Tralee, and Cathal Brugha in Dublin. In the latter case, the Cathedral was given to Arthur Griffith – 'you know what a practical Catholic poor Arthur at least (God rest his soul) was- and had been for years'. Also commenting on the fact that Canon Waters, tending to the four republicans including Liam Mellowes, did nothing to prevent 'that blood-thirsty trio (O'Higgins Mulcahy and Blythe)' from condemning them. The church has suffered and will not recover for a long time. Including (pasting) the conclusion of an article by Sceilig from America, stating that it must have been hard for him, an 'intense Catholic', to write words of criticism against the anti-republican Irish clergy like that. Hagan's position is not enviable. No Gael could ever approve of the four republican men's deaths; asking whether he know the Hales family's protest against the killings. Asking about the likelihood of a papal decision; seeing a glimmer of hope there; were Mannix called over he could do a great deal. Some of his family, including most recently his brother, are in jail; the latter has been badly ill-treated and the Free State chaplain even came to sympathise with their mother. Finding it hard to prepare for ordination on 26 May. [Enclosing] three sheets with lists of [protector] saints for A.J. Murray, Patrick J. MacGuire, and Gaspar Stanford.