Volume 3 1926~1932


Doc No.
Date
Subject

No. 474 NAI DT S4285

Letter from Michael McDunphy to William T. Cosgrave (Dublin)

Dublin, 8 November 1930

President:

O'Hegarty rang up from London at noon today and conveyed the following message to me:-

He was anxious that you should speak to Mr McGilligan on the phone but you had just left for the Nuncio's at the time.

With regard to the proposed letter to Lord Granard,1 the feeling among the delegates is that it is not strong enough, but that it is not possible to amend it over the telephone. They are accordingly drafting a suggested alternative which will reach me on Monday morning.

With regard to the Archbishops' letter in yesterday's press, Campbell2 thinks that his father might be persuaded to write a letter to the press repudiating it, and it is suggested that you should see Lord Glenavy3 for this purpose. A joint letter signed by him, Senators Sam Browne4 and Jameson5 is suggested, but failing this a letter from Lord Glenavy himself would be valuable. Campbell will phone his father this afternoon and speak to him on this matter.

If there is any record of the interview with you referred to in the Archbishops' letter yesterday, the delegates are anxious to have it. Mr. McGilligan remembers being at a meeting which received a deputation of this nature, at which the main point discussed, according to his recollection, was the enlargement of the Supreme Court. I am endeavouring to trace this and will send a copy if I can find it.

Mr McGilligan has asked me to look up and see if we have any written record of Griffith's6 pledges to Midleton7 regarding the Southern Unionists. I am endeavouring to get this as well.

[initialled] M.MCD

1 See No. 470.

2 Gordon Campbell, Secretary, Department of Industry and Commerce.

3 Lord Glenavy, first Cathaoirleach (Chairman) of the Seanad (1922-28).

4 Samuel Lombard Brown KC.

5 Senator The Right Hon Andrew Jameson.

6 Arthur Griffith (1871-1922) Acting President of Dáil Eireann (June-December 1920); Minister for Home Affairs (April-August 1921); Minister for Foreign Affairs (August 1921-January 1922); Chief Delegate of Irish Treaty delegation (October-December 1921); President of Dáil Éireann (Janaury-August 1922); Minister for Foreign Affairs (July-August 1922).

7 Lord Midleton, later First Earl Midleton (St John Broderick) (1856-1942), Leader of the Southern Unionists after 1917.