Eucharistic congress why significant notes

1. What was the significance of the Eucharistic Congress, 1932?
• Showed Irish Free State government could organise a major
international event (huge logistical enterprise).
• Accomodation, events, buildings, decorations, PA system biggest in
world at the time, radio broadcast, 1000s of visiting dignitaries.
• National pride or prestige
• Showing our independence from Britain and that we could play our
own role on world stage.
• Great success at time.
• Papal Legate, Lorenzo Lauri.
• Pope's radio broadcast.
• Count John McCormack. (Papal Count)
• Main mass-1m people, Men's Mass 250k, Women's 200k, Children's
100k.
• Government and organs or institutions of the Irish Free State were
very involved.
• Lauri welcomed by President of the Dail (Head of Government/Prime
Minister) and Lord Mayor of Dublin, Alfie.
• Inspects a guard of honour from the Irish Free State Army.
• Irish Air Corp flew a number of planes in the shape of a cross to
accompany his ship as he came.
• State Reception in Dublin Castle (hosted by President of the Dail, De
Valera).
• Many Tds, Senators, Ministers attended events.
• Special laws relating to hotels and licences.
• State buildings were illuminated (GPO, etc...)
• Monuments and decorations.
• Showed the enthusiasm of many in government and power for the
Catholic Church and the close relations between the Irish State and
the Catholic Church.
• Too much? Was the relationship too close.
• 5 years later the 1937 Constitution gave a 'Special Position' to the
Catholic as the religion of the majority.
• Could be seen as offensive or inconsiderate or exclusive to minorities.
• Minorities living in Ireland might have seen the Congress as an
affirmation of Irish Free State as a Catholic State.
• Unionist in the NI might have felt the same and seen their prediction
of 'Home Rule is Rome Rule' being confirmed.
• (But some argue that De Valera did not give into the Bishops, he didn't
make Catholicism the official religion in Ireland, the 'Special Position'
did not give any particular rights and Article 44 of Constitution gave
protection to minority faiths)

2. • However, the Taoisigh, and most of the Tds in Dail and most of the
Minister from the 1930s were Catholic and many laws passed in Ireland
reflected Catholic teaching (e.g. bans on divorce, contraception,
abortion).
• Also the Catholic Church had a lot of control and influence in
Education (schools, universities), Healthcare (hospitals), Institutions
(orphanages, etc...).
• Strengthened or copperfastened partition????
• When Dr. Noel Browne tried to bring in Mother and Child Scheme 1951
many Fine Gael ministers sided with Bishops against Browne.
• Were the politicians making laws that reflected catholic ideas because
they believed in them or because they were influence by or scared of
bishops or because they were reflecting wishes of overwhelmingly
catholic voters.
• Governor General was James Mc Neill was not accompanied by any
Ministers to the Pro-Cathedral and was not invited at all to the State
Reception in Dublin Castle.
• He had been appointed under the CnG govt. but De Valera was trying
to reduce the role and importance of the king's representative in
Ireland.
• Opportunity for De Valera to boost his profile and prestige as Head of
Government and a Statesman
• Chance for De Valera to demonstrate to the electorate that he was a
devout catholic who had good relations with the Catholic Church
(many anti-treaty people had been excommunicated during the Civil
War)
• Most voters were catholic and therefore being linked to a successful
catholic event may have benefitted the politicians involved.