On A Merry Go Round With Dev

Welcome to the History of Ireland Hello, hello First off, I need to start with an apology This episode has been a touch delayed Down to a whole number of factors Melbourne’s sixth lockdown has been making pretty much doing anything difficult And I’ve been pretty busy with another project I will bug you about at the end of the show Just know I sincerely apologise for the delay And I’m excited to get this show out So let’s get into it

Last time we mentioned Éamon de Valera He was leaving David Lloyd George’s office Both men were in a bit of an impasse What followed was a fascinating back and forth of letters Throughout August and September That helped lay the foundations for the treaty talks that were soon to come

The first letter, sent from Lloyd George to Dev Formally laid out what the two men had discussed in person A quick recap of what Dominion status was With provisions around military, trade, seaports etc etc De Valera’s reply pretty much had just restated what he had said in person He wrote Dominion status for Ireland Everyone who understands the condition knows, to be illusory The freedom which British Dominions enjoy Is not so much the result of the legal enactments or of treaties As of the immense distances which separate them from Britain And have made interference by her impracticable The most explicit guarantees Including the Dominion’s acknowledged right to secede Would be necessary to secure for Ireland An equal degree of freedom There is no suggestion however In the proposals made of any such guarantees

So nothing new here right? Dev believed Dominion status wouldn’t work for Ireland Because we were too close to Britain Except he subtly adds one little hint around the right to secede Maybe the Irish would be happy with Dominion status And they could secede at a future date This was a little bit of political wiggle room That Lloyd George picked up on and quickly shot down

Writing in his next letter We must direct your attention to one point Upon which you lay some emphasis And upon which no British government can compromise Namely The claim that we should acknowledge the right of Ireland To secede from her allegiance to the King No such right can ever be acknowledged by us

Dev replied stating that all he asked for Was quote the broad guiding principles of government By the consent of the governed This bit of boring political prose Around the freedom of people to govern themselves Is actually kind of the closest Dev ever gets To really arguing for a republic In his letters with Lloyd George

Now Lloyd George compared arguing with Dev As quote to chasing a man on a merry-go-round While seated on the horse behind him Which I love And look you can kind of see why Once you start reading Dev’s letters Part of the reason Lloyd George found Dev so difficult Was because what Dev actually wanted Was kind of unclear to anyone A lot of historians question Whether Dev was ever a republican or not

But I’m going to try and spend a little bit of time here Piecing together what Dev thought Would be an adequate solution Because I believe understanding this Is vital to trying to figure out what happened next Speaking to the Dáil he explained Two and a half years ago The old Dáil was elected as an expression Of the will of the Irish nation The answer that the Irish people gave was unmistakable I did not say that the answer was for a form of government so much Because we are not republican doctrinaires But it was for Irish freedom and Irish independence

So if Dev wasn’t aiming for a republic Well then what did he want? As he was writing to Lloyd George He was also trying to explain exactly this To his Irish colleagues in the Dáil He dubbed his idea external association And even as far back as May 1921 He laid it out to Erskine Childress and a few others

He quote Used a compass to finish a very neat drawing He had already begun There were five separate and independent circles All contained within a very large circle Dev completed the design By drawing another circle outside the large circle But contacting it There you have it said Dev The large circle is the British Commonwealth Having within it five circles Which are members of the Commonwealth Outside the large circle But having external contact with it Is Ireland

Apparently Collins walked in As Dev was creating this collection of circles And Dev quote Explained the design to him Though Collins who seemed to be thinking of something else Said nothing at all If only figuring out the whole thing Was as easy as drawing a few circles Is it as clear as mud to you? Because it seems like it was as clear as mud To everyone else at the time as well

But what is amazing Is that Dev had this strange external association idea In his head Well before he sat down with Lloyd George I imagine knowing that Dev wasn’t aiming anywhere near a Republic And had already compromised so much Before setting foot in 10 Downing Street Would have driven Lloyd George up the wall

What it actually translates to Is kind of unclear The gist is that Ireland would remain independent But still linked to the Commonwealth As Dev explained But would commit us to nothing more Than consultation with the representation of Great Britain Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand etc On matters of common concern

Some people have described this idea as A novel and imaginative way Of reconciling Ireland and Britain’s point of view But as historian Charles Townsend puts it It struck most hardline Republicans As at best baffling And at worst a betrayal While for the British The very fact that Dev explained it as a treaty Similar to that signed by any other country Say France or Germany Meant it would never fly They wanted their quote Recognition of the supremacy of the crown

So in the end Dev was never really able to get the Irish on board With external association And it was never really pushed with the British By this point A month and a half had gone by Since the two men had met And Lloyd George was losing his patience

Dev was purposely drawing out the whole correspondence Saying quote If negotiations were to collapse That they should be prolonged into late autumn if possible So that if hostilities did recommence The advantage of the long winter evenings Would favour guerrilla tactics It just goes to show How very clever Dev could be And how worried he was About whether or not an agreement could actually be reached

But in early September Lloyd George wrote to Dev Saying that things had gone on long enough And that he wanted a committed reply to confirm As to whether you were prepared to enter a conference To ascertain how the association of Ireland With the community of nations known as the British Empire Can best be reconciled with Irish national aspirations If, as we hope, your answer is in the affirmative I suggest that the conference should meet at Inverness on the 20th

Dev said he was happy to do so But only if the Irish would be negotiating As representatives of an independent and sovereign state This was a lovely bit of double think That kinda hurts your head Basically Dev was saying Yeah we’ll discuss our disagreements Around the idea of an independent Ireland But only if we can do so As representatives of an independent Ireland

It’s like if you were arguing over what to have for dinner And your partner said We can continue this argument And I’ll listen to your options But only if we do it at a pizza joint While eating pizza If you’re being accepted as representatives of an independent Ireland Then there’s nothing to negotiate

Lloyd George was not happy And called off the Inverness talks Writing We cannot consent to any abandonment However informal Of the principles of allegiance to the king Upon which the whole fabric of the empire And every constitution within it are based It is fatal to that principle That your delegates in the conference Should be there as the representatives Of an independent and sovereign state While you insist on claiming that Conference between us is impossible

Hilariously Dev then basically gaslit him He started his reply with Kind of the 1920s equivalent of As for my previous email Saying I have only to say That we have already accepted your invitation In the exact words which you quote From your letter of the seventh instant

He then continues We have not asked you to abandon any principle Even informally But surely you must understand That we can only recognize ourselves For what we are If this self-recognition be made A reason for the cancellation of the conference We greet it But it seems inconsistent Basically Dev is saying Oh I never said you had to accept us As representatives of an independent Ireland Just that we will

To stretch my analogy to breaking point It’s kind of like saying Oh you want Indian for dinner? Of course, we can have Indian But only if I spend the whole time Calling the naan pizza Lord George basically replied with Okay, sure, that works for you, go for it

And finally A date was set for proper negotiations Irish and British delegates Would meet in London In October Now, there are different ways To view all of this On the one hand It could have just been Dev Being as difficult and pernickety As he kind of always has been

But on the other hand As political historian D.H. Aikenson says The British Prime Minister Soon gave up any discussions Of the six British limitations And had to settle for the subject Of the Association of Ireland And the Commonwealth Dev had kind of geniusly Basically positioned Dominion status As the least Ireland would accept And any mentions of limitations were dropped So that he was basically then Started arguing over whether They were an independent state or not That’s a huge leap forward So yeah, definitely a win

However Lord George was a smart cookie And even if maybe He had lost out in this round He had gained an important symbolic victory Any mention of a republic Had very quickly been shut down As I said The closest Dev got to really fighting for one Was the mention of being able to secede From the Commonwealth Which Lord George rejected And Dev never mentioned again

Dev was also basically admitting That total freedom for Ireland Was not on the table That’s an important point to make D.H. Aikenson nicely explains it By saying quote It was taken for granted On both sides That Ireland would In some as yet undefined way Remain a part of the Commonwealth And the one point On which Lord George was unequivocal Was that membership in Or association with the Commonwealth Implied in allegiance to the British Crown

The stage was well and truly set For serious negotiations to finally take place Both sides were ready to sit down in October To discuss a means to bring an end To the conflict And create an Ireland The Irish people would be proud of It was a momentous occasion The closest Ireland had come to freedom In 800 years

All that was left to figure out Was who would be in the room To nut out the thorny details Of what that freedom would look like That question of who would be in the room Leads us to one of the most controversial decisions Of the whole period A decision that arguably would shape And alter the entire country of Ireland Right up to the current day We’re going to leave that for the next episode When we introduce the plenipotentiaries And ask the question Of why Ireland left her best man On the side of the pitch

Now, quickly before I go Again, I want to apologise for the delay in this episode One of the reasons I’ve been slower to get it out Is due to the fact that my band Before in the morning Have just released a new record Pure History buffs can switch off now Yeah yeah, he’s talking about his music Boring But we’ve been played on Today FM Spin Southwest And we’re getting odd little write ups In things like Hot Press or DE.ie And Broadsheet And it’s all kind of quite time consuming

Anyway, I only mention it Because the first song on the EP Was very much inspired by creating this podcast And reading emails from ye, the listeners And I’d love to share it with you all One of the reasons I started this show Was because I was living on the other side of the world And wanted to feel a little closer to home Writing and researching this podcast And chatting to all of you Has really, has really done that And I just want to say thanks

So, this song is kind of about all of that It’s about history, home And feeling very very far away You might enjoy it But if not Simply switch off And return in two weeks For some proper history But hopefully you get a kick out of it And if nothing else It might be the only song you’ll ever hear That calls out Arthur Griffith in the first line Enjoy

Arthur Griffith I feel like Griffith at a funeral Apple coffee with the president I don’t know any rebel songs Don’t know how to say hello I want to go home now I’m living far from any green fields My friends are dying overseas They’re listening to green gloves They’re falling in with new lows They’re gonna war without me And I’m hiding in a mansion Watching all the mother’s men get killed And I was laughing in my last letter But I don’t feel any better

I want to go home, home I want to go home, home I want to go home, home I want to go home, home I want to go home, home I want to go home, home I want to go home, home I want to go home, home I want to go home, home I want to go home, home I want to go home, home I want to go home, home

And I dreamed of you again last night And that was nice for a little while You whispered things like low dawn I want to go home, home I want to go home, home I want to go home, home