Leabharlann Naisiúnta na hÉireann National Library of Ireland Collection List No. 160 Seán T. Ó Ceallaigh (Additional Papers) (MS 47,970 - MS 48,051) Political and private papers of Seán T. Ó Ceallaigh and his wife Phyllis, including correspondence; financial accounts, newspaper articles and papers relating to Sinn Féin, the Dáil, the Treaty debates, Fianna Fáil, Cumann na mBan and the Ryan family of Tomcoole. Compiled by Maria O’Shea, 2010 Table of Contents Introduction......................................................................................................................... 3 Biographical Note on Seán T. Ó Ceallaigh (1882-1966)................................................ 3 Biographical Note on the Ryans of Tomcoole................................................................ 5 Sources............................................................................................................................ 6 Content and Structure ..................................................................................................... 7 I. Correspondence ............................................................................................................... 7 I.i. Seán T. Ó Ceallaigh – Specific Correspondents ....................................................... 7 I.ii. Seán T. Ó Ceallaigh – Other Correspondents .......................................................... 9 I.iii. Phyllis Bean Úi Cheallaigh – Specific Correspondents........................................ 17 I.iv. Phyllis Bean Úi Cheallaigh – Other Correspondents ............................................ 18 I.v. Seán T. Ó Ceallaigh and Phyllis............................................................................. 23 I.vi. Miscellaneous Correspondence............................................................................. 25 II. Papers of the Ryan family of Tomcoole....................................................................... 25 III. Political Papers............................................................................................................ 28 IV. Personal Papers........................................................................................................... 32 V. Accounts...................................................................................................................... 35 VI. Appendix..................................................................................................................... 36 2 Introduction Biographical Note on Seán T. Ó Ceallaigh (1882-1966) Seán Thomas Ó Ceallaigh (O’Kelly) was born in Dublin in 1882, eldest son of Samuel and Catherine O’Kelly. His Christian Brothers education left him with a love of Irish and in 1898 he joined the Gaelic League. That year also saw him become a junior assistant at the National Library of Ireland, a post from which he later resigned, despite the influence of T.W. Lyster, deciding that holding a position under the British government was anathema to his separatist views. He subsequently worked for the Gaelic League paper, An Claideamh Soluis, and for papers owned by Arthur Griffith, and in 1915 he became national secretary of the Gaelic League. His close friendship with Griffith was to last until the Treaty split. Ó Ceallaigh joined the IRB in 1901 and in 1905 he was a founder member of Sinn Féin, becoming a Sinn Féin member of Dublin Corporation for Inns Quay Ward in 1906 and joint secretary in 1908. He was also a founder member of the Irish Volunteers and supervised the landing of arms at Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow, in August 1914. His revolutionary activities were continued the following year when he was sent to the US on an IRB mission to secure funds from Clan na Gael. During Easter Week he acted as staff officer and aide-de-camp to Pearse. He was stationed at the GPO and spent much of the Rising reporting on the advance of the British forces, as well as pasting copies of the Proclamation around the city centre. On Friday of Easter Week he received a flesh wound to the left leg. After the failure of the Rising and his arrest, he was eventually sent to Wandsworth prison in London, his court martial being repeatedly delayed through the influence of Archbishop William Walsh. He was later transferred to Woking military prison, Frongoch internment camp in Wales, and Reading jail, from which he was released in December 1916. His life in prison is detailed in his letters below, as is his frustration at the numerous transfers. After returning to Ireland his renewed Volunteer activities resulted in his second arrest and deportation, firstly to Oxford and then to Fairford, Gloucestershire. He later left Fairford without permission and came back to Ireland. After the amnesty in July 1917 he resumed public activities and took an active role in the reorganisation of Sinn Féin and its electoral campaigns. Ó Ceallaigh was one of the few who escaped arrest after the 1918 German Plot and as a result became acting chair of the Sinn Féin national executive and acting director of organisation. He produced the first draft of the party’s 1918 general election manifesto, revised the original democratic programme of the first Dáil, which was seen as too socialist, and was elected ceann comhairle (speaker). It was also in this year that he married Mary-Kate (known as Kate, Kit or Cáit) Ryan of Tomcoole, Taghmon, Co. Wexford. His attempt to represent the Dáil at the Paris Peace Conference as envoy of Ireland failed but he nevertheless remained in Paris until 1922. His diplomatic 3 experiences in Rome proved to be more successful when in April 1920 he was given a private audience with Pope Benedict XV, to whom he argued the Sinn Féin case; he later accredited this as the reason Benedict XV never issued a formal condemnation of IRA violence. This was not the first time he had addressed a Pope. In 1908 he had presented an address in Irish to Pope Pius X on behalf of Dublin Corporation. His diplomatic mission was given a further boost the following month when he hosted a reception at the Irish college to mark the beatification of Oliver Plunkett. With most Irish Bishops attending, this was seen as a semi-formal recognition of Ó Ceallaigh’s position as representative of the Irish Republic. Following the truce, Ó Ceallaigh immediately denounced the Anglo-Irish Treaty and acted as Chief Whip to the anti-treaty TDs during the Dáil debate. He supervised Republican press propaganda and after the outbreak of the Civil War he was arrested and detained, mostly in Gormanston internment camp, until December 1923. The duality of Irish politics between the Free State government and the anti-treaty Republican Dáil is reflected in the collection below and this is especially evident in Ó Ceallaigh’s mission as envoy to the US, 1924-1927. While he stated that his work in Washington would be similar to that done by other diplomats by representing his country socially and politically, this situation was complicated by the fact that the Free State had already sent over their diplomat, Timothy A. Smiddy, whose official status was recognized by the American President. During this time he was also a founding vice-president of Fianna Fáil and in 1927 became editor of The Nation, the party’s paper. After the coming to power of Fianna Fáil in 1932, Ó Ceallaigh became vice- president of the executive council (1932-1937) and Tánaiste (1938-1945), and was ostensibly de Valera’s second-in-command. As such, he represented Ireland on several occasions, including the 1933 Commonwealth Conference at Ottawa. The many months he spent away from Ireland can be seen in his correspondence, firstly with Kate and then with his second wife, Phyllis. In 1932 Ó Ceallaigh became Minister for Public Health and Local Government, during which time a major slum clearance and house-building programme was developed. This proved to be a significant factor in working-class support for Fianna Fáil. He was appointed Minister for Finance in 1939, a role which saw conflict with Seán Lemass. On 16 June 1945 Ó Ceallaigh won the first contested presidential election, defeating Seán MacEoin (Fine Gael) and Patrick McCartan (Independent)1. At this time he had been married to Phyllis Ryan, sister of Kate, since 1936, after Kate’s death in 1934. With her help his presidency was a popular one and he was elected again unopposed in 1952. With the Republic of Ireland Act 1949, the President of Ireland was recognised as the head of state. As a result Ó Ceallaigh was now able to make formal visits abroad and diplomats had to present their credentials to Áras an Uachtaráin. On his formal visits he received several orders and decorations, such as the Gold Collar of the Pian Order from the Vatican. After his retirement from office he was replaced by Éamon de Valera on the 25 June 1959. 1 MacCartin later went on to become a founder member of Clann na Poblachta. 4 His presidency can be seen as a successful one. He benefited from his image as an ordinary Dubliner and was thought of fondly by many people. Ó Ceallaigh was a devout Catholic, as can be seen in his correspondence and in some of the policies he favored as Minister. He retired to his home in Roundwood, Co. Wicklow with Phyllis and in 1961 gave a series of radio talks about his early life and the Independent movement, which was later translated into Irish and published as Seán T. He died 23 November 1966 and is buried at Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin. Biographical Note on the Ryans of Tomcoole While this collection is based primarily on papers relating