Letter from John J. Hearne to Frederick H. Boland (Dublin)
'The 18th April'
(704/11)

I have the honour to refer to your minutes No. 305/83/2 of the 4 Aibreán¹ and No. 335/136 of the 8 Aibreán² containing instructions on the action to be taken by the Mission in connection with the going into operation of the Republic of Ireland Act, 1948. I beg to report as follows.

On Tuesday the 12th April I sent a letter (copy enclosed)³ to the Under-Secretary of State in the sense indicated in your minute. I called by appointment on Mr. Heeney⁴ on Wednesday the 13th April. Mr. Heeney had Mr. R.A. Mackay with him. Mr. Mackay⁵ (who is now in London with Mr. Pearson) is the head of the Commonwealth of Nations Division of the Department of External Affairs. Although the Commonwealth of Nations Division is in existence for some years this was the first occasion on which an Under-Secretary of State was accompanied by the head of the Division when I made an official call.

Mr. Heeney informed me that Mr. Johnson would attend the Dublin celebrations on the 18th April. 'Johnson will' he said, 'attend the High Mass and the other functions'. The Under-Secretary made a point of saying that the Acting High Commissioner would attend the Pontifical High Mass. Mr. St. Laurent, he added, would, he thought, be sending a message of good wishes.

I did not have to suggest that a message from the Prime Minister would be welcomed. Mr. Heeney brought up the matter himself. (Perhaps Mr. Johnson had reported to Ottawa on your wishes in that regard). Mr. St. Laurent was on a speaking tour in the West and Mr. Heeney had not yet been in touch with him on the subject of a message. He was not sure whether Mr. St. Laurent would sent a message; but Mr. Heeney would recommend that a message be sent. He asked me 'not to blame' him if in fact no message was sent. I said that I was very grateful for the suggestion that Mr. St. Laurent send his good wishes to our Prime Minister. I added that I knew that Mr. Costello and his colleagues and all our people would deeply appreciate the greetings and good wishes of the Canadian Government on what would be for us a historic occasion. It would indicate that the Canadian Government understood that the establishment of the Republic of Ireland was not a blow aimed at Irish Canadian friendship. A gesture of goodwill now would reap an abundance of goodwill on our part in the coming time. The Irish people and the Canadian people were bound by too many ties not to wish each other well in whatever constitutional courses they might separately pursue. Leaders and Governments in both countries had to carry out the wishes of their people. There was nothing but respect and goodwill for Canada in Ireland.

I spoke in that sense because I was not sure of Mr. Heeney's meaning and intentions when he expressed the hope that I would not blame him if no message was sent.

The Under-Secretary said that if Mr. St. Laurent agreed to send a message they would give me a copy beforehand. I asked about publication: Mr. Heeney said he thought it would be better to publish it at the Dublin end. The message was not published in any English language newspaper here. But it did appear in 'Le Droit' (Ottawa). The Montreal 'Star' commented on 'the absence' of any message from Mr. St. Laurent when the messages from the King, President Truman and the others were published.

As instructed, the flag was flown at the official residence from sunrise to sunset on the 18th April and the day was observed by us as a public holiday.

I regret, however, to have to report that I thought it better not to hold a reception on the occasion. Most of our Irish-Canadian friends would be embarrassed by an invitation to a reception to celebrate Ireland's exit from the Commonwealth of Nations. The number of Irish citizens in Ottawa could be counted on the fingers of both hands. Apart from my colleagues I consulted no one on the matter except Father Farrell Banim, O.M.I., of St. Patrick's College⁶ (a cousin of the late Paul Banim, Private Secretary to President Cosgrave).⁷ Father Banim's view was that the great majority of the Irish-Canadians on our St. Patrick's Day list would either not accept our invitation or would do so reluctantly as a personal compliment to me which they would always regret that I should have asked them to pay. I felt, moreover, that if I held a reception for the very few Irish nationals in Ottawa, the press would comment adversely on the smallness of the affair.

Mr. Kennedy⁸ attended a dinner arranged by the United Irish Societies of Montreal and the Innisfail Club to celebrate the occasion. About 200 guests attended. He read the message which the Taoiseach graciously sent for that gathering. The President of the United Irish Societies made a long speech giving a detailed account of local Fenian and other Irish-Republican leaders and organizations in the City of Montreal.

No one called at 450, Daly Avenue on April the 18th to offer congratulations and good wishes. There were four telephone calls, one from the High Commissioner for Australia. One passer-by stopped his car outside the house to photograph the flag. We received four letters one from the wife of the Chinese Ambassador (who is himself away), one from the Consul of Lebanon, one from a Past President of the Irish Historical Society, one from the President and Founder of the Sons of Ireland Society of Winnipeg.

We have received many verbal enquiries as to the status of the Mission. The retention of the title 'High Commissioner' after the 18th April leaves all enquirers in a state of utter bewilderment.