Catholic Church leaders offer support to Governor General during visit to Vice-regal lodge

Governor General predicts coming age of ‘happiness’ for a reunited Ireland

Dublin, 21 June 1923 - Representatives of the Catholic hierarchy in Ireland yesterday visited the Viceregal lodge in Dublin’s Phoenix Park where they held a meeting with the Governor General.

Led by Cardinal Logue and conveying a message from a recent meeting of the hierarchy in Maynooth, the representatives offered their support to the Governor General, wished him every success and expressed confidence that his wisdom, experience and knowledge of Ireland would prove of great value in helping bring peace and happiness to the country.

Responding, the Governor General, Mr. Timothy Healy, said that he felt inspired by the message from Maynooth and that the presence of the Cardinal and his colleagues was a measure of the march of events in Ireland. Mr. Healy noted that with the exception of Lord FitzAlan, he was the first person of Catholic faith to hold the highest position in Ireland. Less than a century ago, he observed, their people were in chains and their faith forbidden.

Distribution of Prizes and Bishops conference at Maynooth Collage. Left to right – Most Rev. Dr. Foley. Rev. Dr. Gilmartin, and most Rev. Dr. Finnegan strolling the grounds before the conference began (Irish Independent, 19 June 1923 )

Mr. Healy, who confessed to accepting his new role with ‘fear and trembling’ - a fear that in such a high office one slip or misstep might undo a life’s work - , said that he admired the determination of the bishops of Ireland, in the face of insults and threats, to proclaim the law of God throughout the land. He also stated that he had little doubt that Cardinal Logue would live to see the fulfilment of the prophecy of his predecessor in the See of Armagh, St. Malachi, as to the coming of an era of happiness for Ireland.

When that day arrived, the Governor General believed that the Six Counties of the north-east of Ireland would share in it and that all the inhabitants of a reunited Ireland would share in its prosperity.

The group led by Cardinal Logue also included the Most. Rev. Dr. Browne, the Most Rev. Dr. Fogarty, the Most Rev. Dr. O’Sullivan, the Most Rev. Dr. McKenna and the Most Rev. Dr. Mulhern.  

[Editor's note: This is an article from Century Ireland, a fortnightly online newspaper, written from the perspective of a journalist 100 years ago, based on news reports of the time.]