Draft Letter from Hagan to Bishop Cohalan

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Pontifical Irish College

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Hagan, John

Hagan, John, 1873-1930

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Handwritten draft letter from (Hagan) to [Bishop Cohalan of Cork]. Fr. Monahan leaves soon; recommending him as one of their most promising students. Then replying to a letter from the beginning of the year (see 16 January); explaining and apologising for the long delay. Defending his attitude at the outset when a frank and open approach appealed to him but hinting that Cohalan had not been acquainted with the facts of the case and that he had therefore not compromised his position; 'like many people I was not as bad as I was painted'. He could see on leaving Ireland two years ago that the conflict was likely to last: while both sides expected his support he decided rather than getting embroiled to stay aloof until he was 'in a position to say a [word] in favour of charity (and) understanding'. Unfortunately, his reserve was seen as a cover for mischief, and harmless jocular remarks were interpreted to express partisanship. His aloofness was the best expedient he could choose at the time, but admitting it was not necessarily the best one; stating it made it easier 'for palpable adventurers like the [Marquis] McSwiney or for boyish minds like [Desmond] Fitzgerald, to drag the country into the mire and to make us very much like a laughing stock in the city of Rome'. [early June 1924]