Introduction. The following extract is taken from Eamon de Valera’s official welcome to the Papal Legate, Cardinal Lorenzo Lauri, given by the President of the Executive Council before an audience of dignitaries assembled at St Patrick’s Hall, Dublin Castle the day after the Legate’s arrival in Ireland. President de Valera welcomed the Legate on behalf of the Irish Catholic nation and assured him of Ireland’s great loyalty to the Catholic Church and to the figure of the Pope. He reminds Lauri of Ireland’s strong religious faith, which endured despite centuries of sectarian oppression. He his important guest in Irish, then in English and also in Latin. This extract gives evidence of the extent to which de Valera’s form of republicanism was based on a regard for Ireland’s Catholic faith, her Gaelic language and her distinct history.
Source. The Irish Times, 22 June 1932.
Dublin Castle, 21 June 1932
Mile míle fáilte romhat, a Ard-Fhlaith na hEaglaise, a fhear-ionaid an Athar Naofa, go talamh iath-ghlas na hÉireann! Mile míle fáilte romhat ón fhíoríochtar is doimhne de chroí chneasta, chineálta na nGael! Lá glórmhar gléghlan i stair na tire seo is ea an lá beannaithe seo. Creideamh na Róimhe a thug Pádraig Naofa dhúinn. Grá don Róimh a mhúin sé dhúinn. An creideamh céanna agus an grá céanna, do choimeád muintir na hÉireann go beo, bríomhar iad ón aimsir ársa úd go dtí an lá atá inniu ann. An creideamh céanna agus an grá céanna, a bhí ag lonradh go soilseach istigh ina gcroíthe, thug muintir na hÉireann leo iad do gach áird den chruinne cheathartha. An creideamh céanna agus an grá céanna, coimeádfaidh muintir na hÉireann go beo, bríomhar iad, agus múinfidh do lucht díchreidimh agus aineolais iad, le cúnamh Dé, an seacht lá is an fhaid a mhairfidh an bith cé.
Mile mile fáilte romhat, arís agus arís eile, a Theachtaire uasail ó thobar beannaithe ghrásta Chríost ar an mbeatha seo-an tAthair Naofa grámhar a deirim! Seoid luachmhar imeasc seoda na cruinne is ea croí lách nádúrtha na nGael. Sea, an tseoid luachmhar seo, ba mhaith linn, án tráthnóna glórmhar seo, é do thabhairt duitse, agus tríotsa don Athair Naofa grámhar, an t-aonú Pius déag, le go bhfanfadh sé i gcomhad i gcochall a dhil-chroi féin go deo na ndeor.
My Lord Cardinal, Your Eminence, and this audience of all Ireland and of our race throughout the world, will assuredly approve if, in this Irish hall of assembly, Your Eminence has been first saluted in our national language.
Most eminent lord, the records of centuries past bear eloquent testimony to that loving zeal with which the Apostolic See has ever honoured our nation. That special affection was ever the more amply given, in proportion of the sufferings of Ireland. Repeatedly over more than three hundred years our people, ever firm in their, allegiance to our ancestral faith and unwavering even unto death in their devotion to the See of Peter, endured in full measure unmerited trials by war, by devastation and by confiscation They saw their most sacred rights set at naught under an unjust domination. But repeatedly also did the successors of Peter most willingly come to our aid, in the persons of Gregory XIII, Clement VIII, Paul V, Urban VIII, Innocent X and many others of the line of Roman Pontiffs down to the present day.
Today, with no less favour and goodwill, His Holiness Pope Pius XI has turned his august regard to our country, our metropolitan city, and to this present year, a year of deep significance for our people. Here are gathered not only our own Irish race, but in great numbers also other peoples of the entire world, united with us in race or in faith and unreservedly do they all share in our welcome. At this solemn time, most eminent lord, has our Holy Father decreed to send Your Eminence as his Legate to Ireland, from his city and state of the Vatican.
With all veneration, respect and rejoicing, therefore, do we, the Government of Ireland, welcome Your Eminence. By reason of our public office and its duties, it is most fitting that the Irish Government should not only assist in every way the great and solemn function of the Eucharistic Congress here in Ireland, but also should take their due part and place in its proceedings.
They have very special reason for this participation, when they recall how, by his teaching and by his repeated personal action, Pope Pius XI has rendered august service to civil society; while Your Eminence, who here represents his person and his authority, has also for many years been united with many of your students, sons of the Irish race, in the noble pursuits of scholarship and of sacred learning.
There is also for us a further cause of public rejoicing. At this time, when we welcome to Ireland this latest legation from the Eternal City, we are commemorating the apostolic mission to Ireland, given fifteen centuries ago to St Patrick, apostle of our nation. Who can fail on this day to recall to mind the utterance our apostle, recorded of old in the Book of Armagh:
‘Even as you are children of Christ, be you also children of Rome.’
Most notable, then, in conclusion, are these auspicious days for us, in that they have brought to our land, and into this our Irish hall of assembly, Your Eminence, Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church, Legate of the Apostolic See.
Tomás O’Riordan