Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-hc48f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T03:13:10.541Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

THE REVOLUTIONARY AIMS OF IRELAND'S FORGOTTEN DIPLOMATS, 1919–1922

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 November 2020

ANN MARIE O'BRIEN Open the ORCID record for ANN MARIE O'BRIEN [Opens in a new window]
ANN MARIE O'BRIEN*
Affiliation:
Maynooth University
*
Department of History, Maynooth University, Irelandannmarie.obrien@mu.ie
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

In the last twenty years, the involvement of women's organizations in the campaign for Irish independence has featured prominently in publications and public discourse. But this article asks, did women serve the cause for independence in other ways? This article focuses on the careers of Irish women who worked for the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs in the period 1919–22, pressing Ireland's case for autonomy from British rule. The work of these early women abroad has been largely ignored by historians who have concentrated on the diplomatic activities of men in this period. This article first argues that these women who worked towards achieving independence for Ireland through the use of diplomacy and propaganda merit attention, but secondly they can be considered providing further insights into how women's work for the cause of Irish freedom did not warrant them a place in the diplomatic service in the new Irish Free State.

Type
Article
Information
The Historical Journal , Volume 64 , Issue 5 , December 2021 , pp. 1332 - 1354
Check for updates
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press.

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1 Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act, 1919 (9 & 10 Geo. V, c. lxxi), legislation.gov.uk, www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1919/71/pdfs/ukpga_19190071_en.pdf.

2 Calkin, Homer L., Women in the Department of State: their role in American foreign affairs (Washington, DC, 1978), p. 44Google Scholar.

3 Ibid., p. 10.

4 Diplomatic History, 18 (1994).

5 Sluga, Glenda and James, Carolyn, eds., Women, diplomacy and international politics since 1500 (Oxford, 2016)Google Scholar.

6 Glenda Sluga and Carolyn James, ‘Introduction: the long international history of women and diplomacy’, in Sluga and James, eds., Women p. 2.

7 Barrington, Anne, ‘From marriage bar towards gender equality: the experience of women in Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs, 1970–2000’, in Cassidy, Jennifer A., ed., Gender and diplomacy (New York, NY, 2017), pp. 48–64CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

8 The term ‘insider’ was coined in 1993 in Glen, Nancy E. and Sarkees, Meredith Reid, eds., Women in foreign policy: the insiders (New York, NY, 1993)Google Scholar.

9 Barrington, ‘From marriage bar towards gender equality’, p. 63.

10 O'Brien, Ann Marie, ‘Locating women within the Irish Department of External Affairs: a case study of Irish women at the League of Nations and United Nations, 1923–1976’, Irish Historical Studies, 43 (2019), pp. 94–110CrossRefGoogle Scholar; O'Brien, Ann Marie, ‘A century of change: the (in)visibility of women in the Irish foreign service, 1919–2019’, Irish Studies in International Affairs, 30 (2019), pp. 73–92CrossRefGoogle Scholar; O'Brien, Ann Marie, The ideal diplomat? Women and Irish foreign affairs, 1946–1990 (Dublin, 2020)Google Scholar.

11 Keogh, Dermot, Ireland and Europe, 1919–1948 (Dublin, 1988), pp. 8–9Google Scholar.

12 Keown, Gerard, First of the small nations: the beginnings of Irish foreign policy in the interwar years, 1919–1932 (Oxford, 2016), p. 65CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

13 Kennedy, Michael, ‘“It is a disadvantage to be represented by a woman”: the experiences of women in the Irish diplomatic service’, Irish Studies in International Affairs, 13 (2002), pp. 215–35CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

14 Irish Times, 15 Feb. 2016.

15 For more information, see Eichacker, Joanne, Irish republican women in America: lecture tours, 1916–1923 (Dublin, 2003)Google Scholar.

16 See Dempsey, Pauric J. and Hawkins, Richard, ‘John Smith Chartres’, McGuire, James and Quinn, James, eds., Dictionary of Irish biography (DIB) (Cambridge, 2009)Google Scholar, http://dib.cambridge.org/viewReadPage.do?articleId=a1625.

17 Michael Kennedy et al., eds., Documents on Irish foreign policy, i: 1919–1922 (DIFP) (Dublin, 1998), p. 32.

18 Seán T. Ó’Ceallaigh to Dublin, 15 June 1919, National Archives of Ireland (NAI), Department of Foreign Affairs files (DFA) Early Series (ES) Paris 1919.

19 Seán T. Ó’Ceallaigh to Diarmuid O'Hegarty, 16 Sept. 1920, NAI, DFA ES Paris 1920.

20 Patrick Maume, ‘Mary Kate Ryan’, McGuire and Quinn, eds., DIB, http://dib.cambridge.org/viewReadPage.do?articleId=a9803.

21 Patrick Maume, ‘Alexander Martin Sullivan’, McGuire and Quinn, eds., DIB, http://dib.cambridge.org/viewReadPage.do?articleId=a8376.

22 For example, see Seán T. Ó’Ceallaigh to Diarmuid O'Hegarty, 27 July 1920, NAI, DFA ES Paris 1920, and George Gavan Duffy to Diarmuid O'Hegarty, 22 June 1919, Kennedy et al., eds., DIFP, pp. 31–3.

23 Diarmuid O'Hegarty to Seán T. Ó’Ceallaigh, 25 June 1919, idem, pp. 3–5.

24 Maume, ‘Mary Kate Ryan’.

25 Harford, Judith, ‘“Words importing the masculine gender includes females”: women at University College Dublin in the first decade of the 20th century’, in Drudy, Sheelagh, ed., Education in Ireland: challenge and change (Dublin, 2009), p. 27Google Scholar.

26 Foster, R. F., Vivid faces: the revolutionary generation in Ireland, 1890–1923 (London, 2015), p. 71Google Scholar.

27 Ibid., p. 67.

28 For example, see Seán T. O'Ceallaigh to Arthur Griffith, 18 June 1920, NAI, DFA ES Paris 1920.

29 Mary Katsonouris, ‘The George Gavan Duffy papers’, History Ireland (2000), www.historyireland.com/20th-century-contemporary-history/the-george-gavan-duffy-papers/.

30 Dublin to Mairead Gavan Duffy, 20 Sept. 1921, NAI, DFA ES Rome, 1921–3.

31 For more information, see Patrick Maume, ‘Irish Bulletin a full reprint of the official newspaper of Dáil Éireann, giving news and war reports – Volume I 12th July 1919 to 1st May 1920’, History Ireland (2013), www.historyireland.com/20th-century-contemporary-history/irish-bulletin-a-full-reprint-of-the-official-newspaper-of-dail-eireann-giving-news-and-war-reports-volume-i-12th-july-1919-to-1st-may-1920.

32 Mairead Gavan Duffy to Dublin, 26 Sept. 1921, NAI, DFA ES Rome, 1921–3.

33 Ibid.

34 Ibid.

35 Mairead Gavan Duffy to Arthur Griffith, 11 Oct. 1921, ibid.

36 Ibid.

37 Mairead Gavan Duffy to Eamon de Valera, 11 Oct. 1921, NAI, DFA ES Rome, 1921–3, Vatican file.

38 Eamon de Valera to Mairead Gavan Duffy, 31 Oct. 1921, NAI, DFA ES Rome, 1921–3, peace negotiation file.

39 Keogh, Ireland and Europe, p. 9.

40 Mairead Gavan Duffy to Arthur Griffith, 22 Oct. 1921, NAI, DFA ES Rome, 1921–3, Italy 1921 file.

41 Ibid.

42 Pauric J. Dempsey and Shaun Boylan, ‘Laurence Ginnell’, McGuire and Quinn, eds., DIB, http://dib.cambridge.org/viewReadPage.do?articleId=a3488.

43 Helena Molony to Alice Ginnell, 4 Feb. 1955, Bureau of Military History (BMH), Military Service Pensions Collection, Alice Ginnell file, MSP34REF61755, http://mspcsearch.militaryarchives.ie/docs/files//PDF_Pensions/R7/MSP34REF61755%20Alice%20Ginnell/MSP34REF61755%20Alice%20Ginnell.pdf.

44 Matthews, Ann, Renegades: Irish republican women, 1900–1922 (Cork, 2010), p. 200Google Scholar.

45 Alice Ginnell witness statement, WS982, p. 26, BMH, www.militaryarchives.ie/collections/online-collections/bureau-of-military-history-1913-1921/reels/bmh/BMH.WS0982.pdf.

46 P. J. Little précis report, 4 Oct. 1921, Kennedy et al., eds., DIFP, pp. 195–6.

47 Alice Ginnell witness statement, WS982, p. 32, BMH, www.militaryarchives.ie/collections/online-collections/bureau-of-military-history-1913-1921/reels/bmh/BMH.WS0982.pdf.

48 P. J. Little to Robert Brennan, 4 Dec. 1921, Kennedy et al., eds., DIFP, p. 209.

49 Ibid., p. 210.

50 Alice Ginnell witness statement, WS982, p. 38, BMH, www.militaryarchives.ie/collections/online-collections/bureau-of-military-history-1913-1921/reels/bmh/BMH.WS0982.pdf.

51 Owen McGee, ‘John Wyse Power’, McGuire and Quinn, eds., DIB, http://dib.cambridge.org/viewReadPage.do?articleId=a7469.

52 William Murphy and Lesa Ní Mhunghaile, ‘Jennie Wyse Power’, McGuire and Quinn, eds., DIB, http://dib.cambridge.org/viewReadPage.do?articleId=a7454.

53 Michael Kennedy, ‘Ann (“Nancy”) Wyse Power’, McGuire and Quinn, eds., DIB, http://dib.cambridge.org/viewReadPage.do?articleId=a7459.

54 Nancy Wyse Power witness statement, first instalment WS541, p. 2, BMH, www.bureauofmilitaryhistory.ie/reels/bmh/BMH.WS0541.pdf.

55 Kennedy, ‘Ann (“Nancy”) Wyse Power’.

56 O'Neill, Marie, From Parnell to de Valera: a biography of Jennie Wyse Power, 1858–1941 (Dublin, 1991), p. 54Google Scholar.

57 Murphy and Ní Mhunghaile, ‘Jennie Wyse Power’.

58 O'Neill, From Parnell to de Valera, pp. 117–18.

59 Eamon de Valera to Robert Brennan, 24 Mar. 1921, NAI, Dáil Éireann series 2/526.

60 Máire Ní Bhriain witness statement, WS363, pp. 2–3, BMH, www.bureauofmilitaryhistory.ie/reels/bmh/BMH.WS0363.pdf; John Gibney, ‘Máire O'Brien’, McGuire and Quinn, eds., DIB, http://dib.cambridge.org/viewReadPage.do?articleId=a10113.

61 Ní Bhriain witness statement, WS363, p. 4.

62 Ibid., p. 4.

63 Máire Louise O'Brien, Military service pensions collection file, Military Archives http://mspcsearch.militaryarchives.ie/docs/files//PDF_Pensions/R5/MSP34REF59976%20Maire%20Louise%20O'Brien/34d2384%20Maire%20Louise%20O'Brien.pdf.

64 Ibid.

65 Summary of sworn evidence given before interviewing officer by Máire Louise O'Brien, 27 Aug. 1943, Military Archives http://mspcsearch.militaryarchives.ie/docs/files//PDF_Pensions/R5/MSP34REF59976%20Maire%20Louise%20O'Brien/34d2384%20Maire%20Louise%20O'Brien.pdf.

66 Letter from George Gavan Duffy to Robert Brennan, 5 Mar. 1921, NAI, DFA ES Spain.

67 Ibid.

68 Art O'Brien to Eamon de Valera, 7 Apr. 1921, National Library of Ireland (NLI), Art Ó Briain papers, MS 8429/1. My thanks to Dr Mary MacDiarmada for providing this information.

69 Dublin to Máire O'Brien, 20 June 1921, NAI, DFA ES Spain.

70 Nancy Wyse Power witness statement, third instalment, WS732, pp. 5–7, BMH, www.bureauofmilitaryhistory.ie/reels/bmh/BMH.WS0732.pdf.

71 O'Driscoll, Mervyn, Ireland, Germany and the Nazis: politics and diplomacy, 1919–1939 (Dublin, 2017), p. 29Google Scholar.

72 Handwritten letter from Nancy Wyse Power, 17 May 1921, NAI, DFA ES box 33, file 232.

73 Ní Bhriain witness statement, WS363, p. 8.

74 Máire O'Brien report for May and June 1921, 1 July 1921, University College Dublin Archives (UCDA), Desmond FitzGerald papers, P80/23(9).

75 Máire O'Brien report, 23 June 1921, NAI, DFA ES Spain.

76 Máire O'Brien report for May and June 1921, 1 July 1921, NAI, DFA ES Spain.

77 Ibid.

78 O'Driscoll, Ireland, Germany and the Nazis, p. 31.

79 Nancy Wyse Power witness statement, third instalment, WS732, p. 7.

80 Nancy Wyse Power to Eamon de Valera, 5 Nov. 1921, NAI, DFA ES box 33, file 233.

81 John Chartres to Dublin, 2 Jan. 1922, NAI, DFA ES box 34, file 239.

82 O'Driscoll, Ireland, Germany and the Nazis, p. 20.

83 Nancy Wyse Power to Dublin, 31 Mar. 1922, NAI, DFA ES box 34, file 239(1).

84 Máire O'Brien report for July 1921, 2 Aug. 1921, NAI, DFA ES Spain.

85 Robert Brennan to Máire O'Brien, 23 Aug. 1921, ibid.

86 Father Cahill, ‘Ireland and Spain’, Sept. 1921, ibid.

87 Máire O'Brien, report for July 1921, 2 Aug. 1921, ibid.

88 Máire O'Brien to Erskine Childers, 27 June 1921, UCDA, Desmond FitzGerald papers, P80/23(5).

89 Robert Brennan to Máire O'Brien, 4 Oct. 1921, NLI, Máire O'Brien correspondence, MS 43,242/4.

90 Robert Brennan, ‘Department of Foreign Affairs memorandum’, 10 Aug. 1921, NAI, Dáil Éireann files 4/4/2.

91 Ibid.

92 George Gavan Duffy to Máire O'Brien, 14 Feb. 1922, Military Archives http://mspcsearch.militaryarchives.ie/docs/files//PDF_Pensions/R5/MSP34REF59976%20Maire%20Louise%20O'Brien/MSP34REF59976%20Maire%20Louise%20O'Brien.pdf.

93 George Gavan Duffy to Máire O'Brien, 18 Feb. 1922, ibid.

94 Ormond Grattan Esmonde to Desmond FitzGerald, 20 Sept. 1922, NAI, DFA ES Spain.

95 Ormond Grattan Esmonde to Desmond FitzGerald, 14 Sept. 1922, ibid.

96 Máire O'Brien to the secretary, Department of Defence, 11 June 1943, Military Archives http://mspcsearch.militaryarchives.ie/docs/files//PDF_Pensions/R5/MSP34REF59976%20Maire%20Louise%20O'Brien/MSP34REF59976%20Maire%20Louise%20O'Brien.pdf.

97 Ibid.

98 Art O'Brien to Máire O'Brien, 30 Oct. 1943, Military Archives http://mspcsearch.militaryarchives.ie/docs/files//PDF_Pensions/R5/MSP34REF59976%20Maire%20Louise%20O'Brien/MSP34REF59976%20Maire%20Louise%20O'Brien.pdf.

99 Foreign Office memorandum No. 1/1922, 25 Jan. 1922, NAI, DFA ES box 34, file 239.

100 John Chartres to George Gavan Duffy, 4 Feb. 1922, ibid.

101 George Gavan Duffy to John Chartres, 12 Feb. 1922, ibid.

102 Bewley, Charles, Memoirs of a wild goose (Dublin, 1989), pp. 76–7Google Scholar.

103 John Chartres to Dublin, 11 Mar. 1922, NAI, DFA ES box 34, file 239.

104 Nancy Wyse Power to Dublin, 31 Mar. 1922, ibid.

105 Bewley, Memoirs of a wild goose, p. 87.

106 Charles Bewley to Ernest Blythe, 17 July 1922, NAI, Department of the Taoiseach files, TSCH/3/S2305.

107 Bewley, Memoirs of a wild goose, p. 87.

108 John Chartres to William T. Cosgrave, 28 Oct. 1922, NAI, DFA ES box 33, file 234.

109 George Gavan Duffy memorandum, June 1922, UCDA, George Gavan Duffy papers, P152/251.

110 Halliday, Fred, ‘Hidden from international relations: women and the international arena’, Millennium: Journal of International Studies, 17 (1988), p. 424Google Scholar.