Letter from Cait Ó Ceallaigh to Hagan

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Pontifical Irish College

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Ó Ceallaigh, Cait

Hagan, John, 1873-1930

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Holograph letter from Kate (Ó Ceallaigh), Dublin, to [1925] 'dear friend' (Hagan); somebody going to Rome will bring this; Fr. Furlong brought her Hagan's. They are having a national crisis now, and people are surprised even Cosgrave and O'Higgins could go so far: the treaty debates seem quite virile by comparison. Praising deV(alera)'s speech in Ennis a week ago, extending a hand to his Irish enemies. D. McC.[...] was taken aback at the way things went in London and at the Cuman na nGaedhel meeting. Dick (Mulcahy) proposed to make it possible, now the constitution is changed, to remove the oath; he did this partly in revenge against O'Higgins – elaborating the point. However, things are very uncertain for the republicans thanks also to the press, but DeValera makes 'every use so far of his "released" hands' and he plays a new role since the ardfheis. A proposition has been made by a [Fr.] Irvine to obstruct the constitution in the Dáil; their side has to approach O'Malley and the Labour people. Discussing potential influence in the Dáil; only fearing Mary [McSwiney]'s desire for people to leave the Dáil in protest instead of working from within. – (Two days later) the meeting between Labour, other opponents of partition and the republicans found MacS(winey) 'bristling with conditions' and Count P(lunkett) refusing; further meetings will follow. Recounting a serious row between Sceilg and DeV(alera) over the upset of the former's achievements in America; Fr. O'F.(lanagan) left with Sceilg. Meanwhile, their 'Mussolinian statesmen' disregard the sizeable opposition to partition and their machinery is better than theirs. DeV(alera) seemingly is in favour of trying for a referendum by petition, but Cosgrave has already declined to accept an opposition. Some comments on Johnson and Magennis. 'The whole big world is against us again', but DeV(alera) receives his usual acclaim wherever he goes. Seán writes he could only raise a third of last year's funds, but he is yet unaware of the feelings stirred up by the boundary crisis: 'the inevitable is the one thing that does not happen in Ireland'. Also mentioning that Jem [her brother] had a bad accident but is not injured.