Papers of Desmond and Mabel Fitzgerald P80 Descriptive Catalogue
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Papers of Desmond and Mabel FitzGerald P80 Descriptive Catalogue UCD Archives [email protected] www.ucd.ie/archives T + 353 1 716 7555 F + 353 1 716 1146 © 1993 University College Dublin. All rights reserved ii CONTENTS __________________________________________________________________________________ CONTEXT Biographical History iv Archival History iv __________________________________________________________________________________ CONTENT AND STRUCTURE Scope and content v System of arrangement vii __________________________________________________________________________________ CONDITIONS OF ACCESS AND USE Access xiv Language xiv Finding Aid xiv __________________________________________________________________________________ DESCRIPTION CONTROL Archivist’s Note xiv __________________________________________________________________________________ ALLIED MATERIALS Published Material xiv __________________________________________________________________________________ iii __________________________________________________________________________________ CONTEXT Biographical History Desmond FitzGerald, christened Thomas Joseph, was born in London in 1888 of Irish emigrant parents. As a young man, an ardent interest in Ireland was reflected in his admiration for the poetry of W.B. Yeats and his learning the Irish language at the Gaelic League class in London, where he met his future wife Mabel Washington McConnell. Mabel was born in Belfast on 4 July 1884. Her interest in politics and Irish nationalism, demonstrated initially as a student in Queen’s University Belfast, was reflected in her joining the Gaelic League while working as a secretary in London. Desmond and Mabel were married in 1911. In 1913, Desmond and Mabel FitzGerald moved to Irish–speaking west Kerry, where their knowledge of the Irish language was extended further and political links were established with figures such as Ernest Blythe and The O’Rahilly. In January 1915, Desmond was expelled from county Kerry, having convinced the Royal Irish Constabulary that he was signalling to German submarines from his home on the western peninsula. His consequent move to Bray, county Wicklow, and the organisation of a branch of the Irish Volunteers was curtailed by his arrest and sentence to six month’s imprisonment for a speech discouraging recruitment to the British army. Desmond was released three weeks before the Easter Rising and was present in the General Post Office as a non–combatant. Imprisonment followed until mid–1917. After his release from a further term of imprisonment in 1919, Desmond was appointed Director of Publicity for the Dáil Government. The Irish Bulletin was launched by him in November 1919 in order to offset the official British accounts of the political situation in Ireland. His editorial work resulted in yet another term of imprisonment, but release enabled him to participate in the Treaty negotiations. With the resignation of the anti–Treaty members of government in January 1922, and the emergence of the Irish Free State, Desmond became Minister for External Affairs and represented Ireland at the Imperial Conferences and at the League of Nations throughout much of this period. He was appointed Minister for Defence in 1927, a post he held until the defeat of the government in the general election of 1932 and the coming of de Valera to power. After 1932, Desmond served as Opposition Deputy and Senator until 1943. He died in April 1947. __________________________________________________________________________________ Archival History The papers of Desmond and Mabel FitzGerald were deposited by their children, particularly Dr. Garret FitzGerald, in May 1987. __________________________________________________________________________________ iv __________________________________________________________________________________ CONTENT AND STRUCTURE Scope and Content The majority of the collection is arranged in groups corresponding to aspects of Desmond’s political life. The chronological treatment of his appointments and personal involvement within political affairs (sections 1,2,3,4,5,6 and 7) is complemented by associated material within sections 8,9 and 10, where more general political material supplements those documents relating specifically to Desmond’s contribution to developments. The later sections of the collection provide some indication of the values and personal motivation nurtured by the policial figure. His interest in the literary sphere and his association as a young man with the group of poets known as the Imagists, which included T E Hulme, Edward Storer and, later, the American Ezra Pound, is reflected in section 11, Literary and Philosophical works, with his own writings and correspondence with literary figures. Material detailing the work of Desmond with the university of Notre Dame, Indiana, and his giving of lectures in political and social philosophy offer an additional insight into an ardent interest in Catholic philosophy and Thomism. Section 13, Family and Personal Material, provides a further perspective from which to approach the collection. The letters from Desmond to Mabel (P80/1937–1426) facilitate an appreciation of political events described in a personal manner, without the formality and technicalities of official negotiation and correspondence found in earlier divisions of the collection such as sections 5 and 6. The family perspective of the collection is most evident within the final division of the collection, section 14, Papers of Mabel FitzGerald. The material in this section was described and arranged at a date later than the rest of the collection, but provides a natural conclusion to the more personal sections of Desmond’s own papers. The section is predominantly composed of correspondence which fell naturally into two broad divisions: political and family. The political material lent itself to arrangement largely along subject matter headings. Desmond’s political activities are traced alongside those of his wife, and the personal nature of the material, as in section 13, contrasts well with the more formal nature of the earlier sections of the collection. A more personal appreciation of Desmond and Mabel is provided by this section. Correspondence between them in 1910 and 1911 refers to the opposition of Mabel’s father to their romantic association (p80/1490–1505). The correspondence between Mabel and George Bernard Shaw vividly illuminates her support for nationalism which was often at variance to the opinions of her husband until later in life (P80/1551–61). The final three subdivisions of section 4, Towards the Irish Free State and beyond, detail her gradually changing political views in sympathy with those of Desmond. The majority of letters within the political division of section 14 demanded individual descriptive attention. v The family division of section 14 demands very little arrangement as related correspondence tended to be grouped together when the collection arrived. Much has consequently been left in files. The relationship between family members has been detailed wherever possible. Subjects addressed include the death of family members and the settlement of estates. Cross references have been supplied throughout section 14 in order to illuminate its integral nature with the rest of the collection. The papers merit addressing in their entirety as the politically–orientated material cannot be divorced from the personal if the collection is to be perceived from the varied perspectives it offers. July 1993 vi System of Arrangement 1. Irish Volunteers and Sinn Féin 1.1 Letters, 1914 1 1.2 Expulsion from Kerry, 1915 1 1.3 Trial and imprisonment, 1915 2 1.4 1916 Rising 3 1.5 1918 General election 3 2. Publicity Department, 1919–25 2.1 War of Independence 2.1.1 Correspondence 2.1.1.1 Secretary, Dáil Éireann 4 2.1.1.2 Acting Director of Publicity 5 2.1.1.3 President, Dáil Éireann 6 2.1.1.4 Army and Minister for Defence 6 2.1.1.5 Foreign Affairs 9 2.1.1.6 Home Affairs and Police 9 2.1.1.7 Agriculture 10 2.1.1.8 Department of Labour 11 2.1.1.9 Accountant General 11 2.1.1.10 Sinn Féin 12 2.1.1.11 Irish Labour Party 13 2.1.1.12 Irish Self–Determination League 13 2.1.1.13 Press 15 2.1.1.14 Film companies 16 2.1.1.15 General 17 2.1.2 British Outrages 2.1.2.1 Murders, looting, repression 20 2.1.2.2 Statistics 29 2.1.2.3 Breaches of the Truce 31 2.1.2.4 Ill–treatment in custody 32 2.1.2.5 Internment Camps 2.1.2.5.1 Ballykinlar, County Down 37 2.1.2.5.2 Bere Island,County Cork 39 2.1.2.5.3 Spike Island, County Cork 41 2.1.2.5.4 Rath, County Kildare 42 2.1.3 Propaganda 2.1.3.1 Irish Bulletin drafts 44 2.1.3.2 Drafts of pamphlets and related material 56 2.1.3.3 Ballads and stories 59 2.1.3.4 Printed matter 59 2.1.3.5 Press releases and surveys 60 vii 2.2 The Treaty and Republican split 2.2.1 Correspondence 61 2.2.2 Propaganda 2.2.2.1 Press releases 65 2.2.2.2 Press cuttings 65 2.2.2.3 Publications 2.2.2.3.1 Irish Bulletin 66 2.2.2.2.3.2 Articles and pamphlets 66 2.3 The Civil War 2.3.1 Censorship and relations with the press 68 2.3.2 The deaths of Collins and Griffith 74 2.3.3 The execution of Erskine Childers 75 2.3.4 Ernie O’Malley 77 2.3.5 Propaganda: publications, posters and related matter 78 2.3.6 Correspondence 2.3.6.1 Irish Bulletin London Office 82 2.3.6.2 Chairman of the Provisional 82 Government/ President of the Executive Council 2.3.6.3 Army 83 2.3.6.4 Home Affairs 86 2.3.6.5 General correspondence 86 2.4 Northern Ireland 2.4.1 Belfast Boycott 89 2.4.2 Propaganda 2.4.2.1 Committee of Information on the Case of Ulster 90 2.4.2.2 Ireland and the Ulster legend 91 2.4.2.3 Belfast pogroms, outrages 92 2.4.2.4 Maps 93 2.5 Publicity Bureau, 1924 2.5.1 Correspondence 93 2.5.2 Press surveys and releases 96 3.