The 1932 Eucharistic Congress in Ireland involved significant participation from both the Catholic Church and Irish government. The Irish government, led by Eamon de Valera, played a major role in planning and hosting the event, which saw the Papal Legate welcomed by de Valera and the Lord Mayor. The Congress highlighted Ireland's Catholic identity and strengthened church-state relations. It also boosted de Valera's profile as a devout Catholic leader while reducing the role and importance of the British-appointed Governor General. The massive event, which was broadcast on radio, contributed to perceptions of Ireland as a Catholic state.

2. Catholics and Protestants in Ireland
• Catholic church had been persecuted under Penal Laws
• Protestant Church of Ireland had been Established
(Official) Church until 1869
• Majority of Catholics supported nationalist political
parties
• Some protestants feared discrimination under Home
Rule (‘Home Rule is Rome Rule’)
• Most unionists were protestant
• Most nationalists were Catholics (but there were also
some very famous protestant nationalists)
• After 1922 majority in Northern Ireland protestant
• Majority of population of 26 counties of Irish Free State
were Catholics
• Some saw Catholicism as a part of Irish identity

4. What was the ‘Eucharistic Congress’?
• Every 3 or 4 years a
‘Eucharistic Congress’ was
held in a different country
• Catholics organised a series
of religious events to
celebrate the presence of
Christ in the Eucharist
(Communion)
• The purpose was a
gathering of lay people and
clerics 'celebrating and
glorifying the Holy Eucharist
and of seeking the best
means to spread its
knowledge and love
throughout the world’

5. Celebrating the Eucharistic
Congress.
• Masses, processions,
conferences and
receptions, lectures,
exhibtions were
organised.
• Priests, bishops and
cardinals and dignitaries
from around the world
invited to attend.
• Buildings, streets and
houses were decorated
and monuments were
built.

6. Background to the 1932 Eucharistic
Congress in Ireland
• 1929 was the centenary of Catholic
Emancipation
• Vatican sent the 1st Papal Nuncio
(ambassador) to Ireland
• Cumann na nGaedheal government
open discussions with Vatican
about holding Congress in Ireland
• Pope Pius XI (1922-1939) decides
to have the 31st Eucharistic
Congress in Ireland (1,500 years
after arrival of St. Patrick in 432 AD)

7. The World Eucharistic Congress

8. Day 1: 20 June 1932
• The Papal legate Cardinal
Lorenzo Lauri arrived at Dun
Laoghaire Harbour.
• Welcomed by President of the
Dail, De Valera and Lord
Mayor of Dublin Alfie Byrne.
• Cheered by crowds on way to
Catholic Pro-Cathedral.
• Tens of thousand lined the
streets including 36,000
schoolchildren.

9. His eminence, Cardinal Lorenzo
Lauri, Papal Legate.

10. The Cardinal
Legate's ship is
escorted into
Dún Laoghaire
Harbour.
Planes from the
Irish Air Corps
formed a cross in
the air .

11. The Legate's Ship comes
alongside the jetty at Dún
Laoghaire.

13. The Cardinal Legate
disembarks at Dun Laoghaire.

15. The Cardinal Legate blesses
the military guard of honour.

16. The Lord Mayor's Heralds
announce the approach of the
Cardinal Legate.

17. Passing through the City Gates.

18. The Lord Mayor of Dublin greets
the Cardinal Legate at the City
Gates.

19. The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Alfie
Byrne and President De Valera
welcome the Cardinal Legate.

20. His Grace the Archbishop of
Dublin, Primate of Ireland, Most
Rev. Edward J. Byrne.

22. Day 2: 21 June
• 200 bishops and 8 cardinals
from different countries in
Ireland for Eucharistic
Congress
• President of Blackrock College
(Father John Charles
McQuaid) organises Garden
Party to welcome Cardinal
Lauri
• State Banquet to welcome
Lauri held in Dublin Castle that
evening
• Women told to ‘dress
discreetly’

23. Blackrock College Garden Party

24. McQuaid, Lauri, De Valera

25. • Decorations,
flowers, picture,
banners, flags,
statues were
displayed on
houses and
buildings around
Ireland.
• Special
monuments
(replica round
towers) were built.

26. Round Tower at College Green

27. • The Government arranged for all the major
buildings in the city to be lit up at night by
a series of powerful spotlights and
coloured lamps. The General Post Office,
the Central Bank, Trinity College,
Government Buildings and O’ Connell
Bridge amongst other key areas were
illuminated in a major feat of technological
prowess during the course of the
Congress week.

29. 22 June State reception in
Dublin Castle for the Papal
Legate
• 20,000 Guest List
• Governor General,
James Mc Neill not
invited to this event
(as Fianna Fail
government trying
to reduce the
importance of this
position).

30. Mass on O'Connell Bridge
during the Eucharistic
Congress, June 1932.

32. Accomodation
• Large camps set up in Cabra and Artane
to accomodate people wishing to attend
the Eucharistic Congress in Dublin.
• Others accomodated in national schools,
libraries and town halls in and around
Dublin.
• Ships (liners) used as 'floating hotels' for
overseas visitors.

33. Exhibitions and Lectures
• Public lectures held in
the Theatre Royal, the
Savoy Theatre, the
Mansion House and
UCD.
• Exhibition on Irish
missionary work held in
UCD building on
Stephen's Green.

34. Day 3: 22 June
• Formal opening of
Eucharistic Congress
• Mass in St. Mary’s
Pro-Cathedral
• Prayers, masses and
midnight masses
organised all around
the country

38. Procession in Limerick, 1932

39. Days 4, 5, 6: 23, 24, 25June
• Thursday 23 June: Men’s
Day(procession and other
events organised for men)
(Men's Mass in Phoenix Park
250,000)
• Friday 24 June: Women’s Day
(200,000 women at Women's
Mass)
• Saturday 25 June: Children’s
Day (100,000 at Children's
Mass)

41. The last day of the Congress
• 1 million attended mass in Phoenix Park
• 20,000 volunteers and 4,000 boy scouts
acted as stewards at the event
• Message broadcast from Pope Pius XI
• Count John Mc Cormack sang
• Mass broadcast on radio around Ireland
• Procession of Blessed Sacrament led by
Garda Comissioner Eoin O’Duffy
• Procession ended with Benediction on
O’Connell Street

42. The Lord Mayor's coach in the
Cardinal Legate's triumphal
procession

47. A boy scout giving out water in
the Phoenix Park

48. Members of the Dail and
Seanad at the Phoenix Park
Mass

49. Count John McCormack sings Panis
Angelicus (Bread of the Angels) at High
Mass
• John Mc Cormack
was an
internationally
famous singer
• He had been made
a Papal count
• He sang during the
mass in the
Phoenix Park

50. Pope Pius XI addresses the
faithful, 26 June 1932.

51. Radio (from Cork Multitext Article)
• 2RN covered the World Eucharistic Congress in
Dublin in 1932 using the new high-powered
60kw transmitter (later increased to 100 kw)
installed at Athlone.
• Irish listeners heard the voice of John
McCormack singing at High Mass.
• The event was also relayed by the BBC and
several national stations in continental Europe.
• This was the largest event broadcast in the early
years of Irish radio.
• By this time over 30,000 licences had been
issued in the Irish Free State.

52. The Cavalry Guard of
the Irish Army, the
Blue Hussars.
The Blue Hussars,
established in
1931, made their
first public
appearance at the
1932 Eucharistic
Congress.

53. Souvenirs and Programmes

55. Lauri given Freedom of Dublin
• After the
Congress, Cardinal
Lauri made a
Freeman of Dublin
in a ceremony in
the Mansion
House.

57. • What role did the Irish government play in
organising the Eucharistic Congress?
• What role did the Catholic Church play in
organising the Eucharistic Congress?
• Did church-state relations improve?
• Did the Eucharistic Congress affect North-South
relations?
• How successful was the Eucharistic Congress?
• How significant was the Eucharistic Congress?
• What did the Eucharistic Congress contribute to
Irish cultural identity?

58. • While it was a religious event, there was
significant participation by the State.
• Cosgrave's Cumann na nGaedheal
government had been involved in planning
the event.
• The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Alfie Byrne, and
the Head of Government (De Valera)
welcomed the Papal Legate.
• The Papal Legate inspected troops from
the Irish Free State Army and the Air
Force of the Irish Free State accompanied
the ship of the Papal Legate into Dun
Laoghaire

59. Boosting De Valera's profile as a leader
and statesman (and a devout Catholic)
• He took a high profile part
in the main events of the
Eucharistic Congress,
greeting the Papal Legate
in person, speaking at
some length on behalf of
the Government and State
at various formal functions
and attending all of the
major masses held in the
course of the week.

60. • During the Civil War
many anti-treaty IRA
and Sinn Fein
members (including
De Valera) had been
excommunicated
• This was a chance to
redeem their credibility
as devout catholics (at
a time when most
voters were catholic)

61. Reducing the importance of the
role of Governor General
• Governor-General
James MacNeill
about to enter the
Pro-cathedral during
the congress.
• There are no
ministers
accompanying him
(a deliberate snub by
de Valera’s
government.)

62. Catholic Triumphalism?
• Did the Eucharistic Congress show the
Irish Free State to be a 'Catholic State'?
• Did it make citizens of the IFS who weren't
catholic feel excluded or marginalised?

63. Significance of Eucharistic Congress
From Cork Multitext Article
• The Constitution of the Irish Free State (as
stipulated by the 1921 Treaty) expressly
forbid the new Irish Government from
giving precedence to any one faith over
the other, particularly as regards
legislation.
• The Eucharistic Congress can be seen as
an important mark on the road that would
lead to the new Irish Constitution, as
enacted by the people in 1937.