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The Bishop's
Pastoral letter - Aftermath - The Mount Sion school strike
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THE
BISHOP’S PASTORAL
On the following day, Sunday 6
January 1935, the bishop issued his pastoral. A large force of
Gárdaí was present inside the Cathedral, and outside, while
the bishop was speaking. Numbers of Gárdaí also attended at
the other city churches where the pastoral statement was also
read. These precautions were indicative of the highly charged
atmosphere in the city concerning the case. The Cathedral was
crowded when the bishop rose to speak
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My
dearly beloved—The event which is the occasion of
my addressing you today, is the termination of a
teacher's appointment in the Christian Brothers'
School, Mount Sion. I understand that there is a
certain amount of sympathy for this teacher in the
city, that resolutions in his favour have been
passed by certain bodies, and that there is an
agitation on foot to secure his continuance in his
position. These facts have brought home to me the
necessity for an authoritative statement from me on
this matter, and for authoritative teaching on
certain other matters connected with it ... Bishops
are the successors of the Apostles and, as such, are
divinely constituted authoritative teachers in faith
and morals ... From the fact that a Bishop is the
authoritative teacher of faith and morals in his
diocese, it follows that his teaching is binding,
and that his subjects must obey it, even under pain
of mortal sin, whenever the matter involved is
notable ... Any failure in obedience in grave matter
is a mortal sin ... I may now proceed to the main
purpose of my discourse ... I am speaking to you
mainly as your divinely constituted leader in faith
and morals, and I intend whatever teaching my
address contains to have all the authority and
binding force which can be derived from the sacred
office which I hold ...[1]
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It was at this point in the address that disturbances began in
various parts of the Cathedral. Women, men and some children
were seen to rise from their seats and it was thought that
some violent demonstration was planned. The demonstration,
however, was peaceful and took the form of a walkout. The
demonstrators arrived at the aisles, genuflected to the
Blessed Sacrament, turned their backs on the bishop and
marched out of the Cathedral. The bishop continued.
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…
I have given the matter careful study and much
thought ... The Superior of the Christian Brothers'
School, Mount Sion, consulted me before issuing the
notice terminating the services of the teacher in
question. He informed me that this teacher, despite
the public warning—twice issued—of his parish
priest and co-manager of his school, attended the
Republican Congress and took an active part in its
discussions—this fact was published in the press
and is admitted by the teacher himself. Now, the
principles and aims of the Republican Congress
movement are opposed to the teaching of the Church;
its principles are Socialist and Communistic: it
aims at setting up a socialist Republic, evidently
on the Russian model ... and one of its weapons for
achieving this is class hatred and class warfare.
Evidently, one who belongs to a movement of this
kind is unfit to be a teacher of Catholic children.
The most appropriate course in the circumstances
would have been instant dismissal. The spirit of
leniency and the desire to recall the teacher from
the error of his ways, however, prevailed ... During
the past week having invited the teacher to come
before me ... I explained to him the opposition
between the principles of Republican Congress
movement and the teaching of the Church, and I told
him of his own grave obligations in the matter. I
then asked him to sign an undertaking, which would
be made public, to dissociate himself from this
movement and not join any similar movement in the
future. Whilst I urged him to sign the undertaking
principally because of his duty as a Catholic and
for the welfare of his immortal soul, I at the same
time promised that, if he did sign it, I should
recommend him for employment to the Christian
Brothers and I gave him an assurance that my
recommendation would be accepted. He refused to sign
the undertaking.
It is hardly necessary for me to state that it would
be sinful to try to prevent the action of the
manager of the Christian Brothers' School, Mount
Sion, from becoming effective, or to cause him or
anybody else inconvenience on account of it ... Now,
when the good Catholics of this city are aware of
the vital religious issues at stake, I am confident
that whatever little agitation has been afoot will
immediately cease.[2]
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AFTERMATH
OF THE PASTORAL
It was clear that
the Pastoral had only inflamed an already tense situation. The
notice of dismissal was due to expire in nine days. A meeting
of support to demand the withdrawal of the notice of dismissal
had been called for the following Saturday 12 January 1935.
This meeting had the support of the local INTO branch, two
cumainn of Fianna Fail (P.H. Pearse and Gracedieu), the IRA,
the Republican Congress Branch, the Gaelic League, Gasra an Fháinne,
Waterford Worker's Council, the Irish Citizen's Army and
various trades union branches. On 11 January 1935, Mgr Byrne
wrote a letter to the press cautioning people to stay away
from the meeting 'which is to be held in flagrant opposition
to the authoritative teaching and ruling of the Bishop of the
Diocese ... The Bishop has spoken; the Church had spoken; and
the opposition to the Church is opposition to Jesus Christ.'[3]
Despite the Monsignor's warning and driving rain, which fell
continuously for the two hour duration of the meeting, a large
crowd numbering several hundreds turned out in Broad Street to
hear the speakers, Peadar O'Donnell, Frank Ryan and Seamus
Malone, secretary of the Edwards Defence Committee, under the
chairmanship of Jimmy O'Connor, Poleberry. A motion from
Malone was passed calling for a strike of pupils on the
following Tuesday.[4]
The
support for Edwards appeared to be very strong, and
widespread. The mayor had assured Frank Ryan that ninety per
cent of the people were behind Edwards but, in truth, the city
was deeply divided.[5] On Saturday 12 January 1935, (the day
of the Broad Street meeting) the Waterford Pig Buyers'
Association passed unanimously a resolution 'That we ...
pledge ourselves as faithful Catholics to give our unqualified
support in every way possible to our beloved Bishop, Most Rev.
Dr Kinane and his clergy; and we further desire to express our
wholehearted approval of his Pastoral read in all the city
churches on Sunday, the 6th inst.'[6] On the following day,
both Dr Kinane and Monsignor Byrne were given a tremendous
reception when they attended the annual tea party at St.
Joseph's Boys Club. When they entered the Club, the assembled
boys cheered for several minutes and then sang the hymn, Faith
of our Fathers. Messages of unqualified support for the
bishop poured in to the newspapers from many sources including
the Legion of Mary, the Mount Sion Sodality, the United
Ireland Party (John Redmond Branch), the Sodality of Mary, the
Aquinas Study Circle and Fine Gael, Waterford Central Branch.
The
Dockers' Society of the Amalgamated Transport and General
Workers Union (ATGWU) held a special meeting on 14 January
1935 at the union rooms, O'Connell street. The meeting passed,
unanimously, an extraordinary expression of loyalty and
support. I quote it in full
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We,
the members of the Dockers' Society assure our
beloved and revered Bishop, Most Rev. Dr Kinane
that, conscious of our duty as Catholics, we accept
and will loyally obey his authoritative teaching
given us in the Cathedral on the 6th inst. Mindful
of the warning conveyed in that solemn
pronouncement, we can assure him that we shall do
all in our power to keep our Union free from the
virus of Communism and Socialism. We will endeavour
to see that our Union shall be guided by the
principles laid down by Pope Leo XIII and the
present Holy Father rather than by the
anti-Christian maxims of Communist and Socialist
agitators. We wish this expression of our Loyalty
and obedience to be some reparation to his Lordship
for the unfilial attitude of an insignificant
section of his flock in the city.
Signed, Matthew
McCloskey, Chairman.[7]
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Over
the following week, many more groups filed similar expressions
of loyalty. On Monday morning, however, about
half-a-dozen boys carrying banners with inscriptions such as
WE WANT OUR TEACHER BACK/WE ARE ON STRIKE/WE STAND FOR
JUSTICE/STRIKE ON HERE appeared outside Mount Sion. They
paraded in front of the schools and urged other pupils to join
them. About ten pupils responded and the demonstrators then
marched through the principal streets of the city cheering
loudly for Edwards. They halted for a meeting on Ballybricken
and two of the strikers declared that they were not going back
to school until the teacher was reinstated and victimisation
was stopped. A few Civic Guards remained on duty outside the
schools until after the luncheon interval, by which time the
demonstration had withdrawn, several of the boys returning to
their homes. The Irish Times reported 'speculation is rife as
to the number of boys, if any, who will take part in
tomorrow's one-day strike.'[8]
THE
STRIKE
The events of Tuesday, the day
Edwards' dismissal notice expired, were distilled neatly in
the Waterford News headlines describing the day's events.
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SCHOOL
AS USUAL/EXCITING INCIDENT/CLASH IN BARRACK
STREET/MEN TAKEN INTO CUSTODY/STRIKE PICKET SCUFFLE/
STATEMENT BY MOUNT SION SUPERIOR
Some dozen boys, aged from eleven to fourteen, who
left school on Monday, again made appearance on the
streets on Tuesday morning, and remained for some
time outside the gates as the scholars were entering
classes and endeavoured to persuade them to join
them. The scholars, many of whom were brought to the
school gates by parents or relatives, remained loyal
to the teachers, and entered on their daily tasks
with indifference to either pleas or threats. One
youngster amongst the strikers tied the school gates
with a short length of rope, which was, however,
quickly burst asunder by another boy going into
school. A woman who called non-striking boys
'cowards' was booed and hissed by the crowd who had
assembled to watch events.
As the day advanced, matters took a more serious
turn. About midday a number of boy strikers formed a
picket in front of the school buildings, carrying
banners and shouting: 'We are on strike.' By this
time some hundreds of adults, including many women,
had assembled on the sidewalks and roadway in
Barrack Street. Shouts were raised of 'Up the Pope'
and 'Up the Catholics.' Following this there was an
unexpected stir amongst the crowd, and a menacing
situation developed which, eventually necessitated
the drawing of batons and a charge was made by the Gárdaí.
In a subsequent melee more than one youngster was
seen to fall and one member of the youthful picket
alleged that he had received a blow of a baton ...
the crowd quickly dispersed, but before they had
done so Gárdaí took into custody three young men
and one boy whom they removed to barracks nearby.
Shortly afterwards Mr. Seamus Malone, Secretary of
Frank Edwards' Defence Committee, was seen to enter
the Barracks, following which the boy was released
by the Gárdaí.[9]
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The
Irish Times reported
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Flannery issued a statement stressing the normality
of the schools' day and referred to pupil attendance
as being excellent. He said that Mr. Edwards was in
attendance all day and that the three months notice
expired that afternoon. As the closing hour arrived,
people began assembling again at the school gates.
'A double cordon of Guards ... was drawn up and
through this avenue of police the pupils left the
schools for their homes. As Mr. Frank Edwards
appeared there were cheers and counter-cheers and
from the neighbourhood of the schools the crowd
moved down Barrack Street and congregated in front
of his home [no. 143] before they again dispersed
quietly. Brief addresses were delivered by Mr. Frank
Edwards and his mother.'[10] |
It
was after these statements that an event happened that is
regarded as a shocking act of vindictiveness by the bishop.
Peter O'Connor referred to it in his book.
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mother did not escape persecution either. Bobby
[Aileen] Edwards, Frank's wife, in an interview with
Rosemary Cullen, shortly before her death in 1989,
records the following: Mrs Edwards [Frank's mother]
made a statement to the effect that 'in spite of the
injustice done, the Edwards' will remain good
Catholics.' A priest was sent to her by the Bishop
... to say that unless she publicly withdrew that
statement she would be passed [refused Holy
Communion] at the altar rails. To a woman like Mrs
Edwards who was a devout Catholic this was a most
hurtful and cruel thing to say. The injustice of
[it] ... is beyond comprehension.[11] |
One of my interviewees corroborated the above story and told
me that it affected Mrs Edwards deeply.[12]
Some weeks later, three men appeared in court on a charge
related to the pickets. These were, Patrick Walsh, John Lucas
and John Hunt [This is the Jackie Hunt, later to become one of
the ten Waterford men, including Edwards, who went to Spain to
fight against the fascists]. The State Solicitor told the
three defendants that if they would give an undertaking to
keep the peace he would not ask for any bonds or bails and he
would withdraw the charges. All but Hunt agreed and he was put
back for trial. At the Hunt trial, some six weeks later,
Inspector Tobin elaborated on the reported incidents that
happened outside the school. He said that some boys paraded
outside Mount Sion School with placards. At that time there
were about three hundred people assembled in the street. A
number of men carrying placards, led by Hunt, appeared and
proceeded to picket the school. A Gárda approached Hunt and
warned him that the actions of the picketers might lead to a
breach of the peace but Hunt paid no attention to him. There
was some rival shouting and the Gárdaí threw a cordon across
the street. A section of the crowd rushed towards the pickets
and the Gárdaí charged with batons drawn. Lucas dashed
towards the pickets flashing a short stick and he came to
grips with Sergeant Duignan. It was then that the Gárdaí
arrested the three men. The Justice dismissed the case for
lack of evidence.[13]
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