No. 226 NAI DFA/10/P/257/Pt III

Memorandum for Government by the Department of External Affairs
'Accredition of Mr. D. P. McGuire as Australian Ambassador'

Dublin, 29 October 1953

  1. Direct diplomatic relations were established with Australia in 1946 on our initiative and the Australian Government then appointed a High Commissioner in Dublin who remained here until the expiry of his term of office early in 1950.1 Subsequently, in 1950, the Irish mission at Canberra and the Australian mission in Dublin were raised to the rank of Embassy but the post of Australian Ambassador in Dublin has remained vacant to this date.
  2. On the 15th April, 1953, shortly before the date of the Australian Senate elections, the Irish Government’s agrément was sought for the appointment of Mr. D.P. McGuire to the post of Ambassador at Dublin. The agrément was granted by the Government at their meeting on 21st April and was communicated to the Australian Chargé d’Affaires at Dublin on the following day. The appointment of Mr. McGuire was publicly announced in Canberra on the 25th April.
  3. On the 20th April, in anticipation of the grant of the agrément, Dr. Kiernan, acting on his instructions, stressed to the Australian Department of External Affairs that, in accordance with the practice followed at Dublin, Letters of Credence are required to be addressed to the President of Ireland and, in addition, the constitutional name of the State, Ireland, is normally preferred to the statutory description, Republic of Ireland. On that occasion Dr. Kiernan left a copy of the Irish Constitution with the Department of External Affairs at Canberra.
  4. The practice referred to by Dr. Kiernan has been followed at our suggestion by all states, except Britain, which accredited diplomatic representatives at Dublin since June 1951, namely, India, USA, France, Italy, Sweden, Austria, Iceland, Germany, Holy See and Belgium.

    In the case of Britain, we agreed exceptionally to accept Letters of Credence in respect of Sir Walter Hankinson which were addressed to ‘President Seán T. Ó Ceallaigh’ and which in the text referred to the Republic of Ireland instead of Ireland. Mr. Boland’s Letters of Credence as Ambassador to Britain were addressed in the Title of the President of Ireland to ‘Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’, simpliciter, without the full British Royal Titles.

  5. Shortly after the announcement of Mr. McGuire’s appointment it became clear that the Australian authorities were not willing to meet our requirements in regard to the wording of his Letters of Credence. In the course of the discussions which ensued we indicated that, if it would help to solve the Australian difficulty, Letters of Credence drawn up completely in the Irish language would be acceptable. This suggestion was, however, eventually rejected by the Australian Government.
  6. During conversations which took place informally in August between the Australian Prime Minister and the Ambassador at Canberra, Mr. Menzies concurred in the view that the Irish Government were entitled to have the President’s constitutional title used in Letters of Credence but that difficulties were to be anticipated from British sources. Mr. Menzies suggested, however, that Letters of Credence might be correctly addressed to the President of Ireland and contain two references in the text to the Republic of Ireland. Dr. Kiernan was instructed to accept this suggestion and Mr. Menzies was informed accordingly.
  7. In a communication dated 29th August, 1953, from the Australian Department of External Affairs it was proposed to issue a document in the form of a Lettre de Cabinet addressed to ‘President Seán T. Ó Ceallaigh, The President’s Palace, Dublin, Ireland.’ Dr. Kiernan was instructed to decline this proposal.

    As the Australian communication referred to above made no mention of the suggestion made by Mr. Menzies to Dr. Kiernan, the latter was instructed to deliver an amended form (copy attached)2 of an Australian draft of Letters of Credence. This form is addressed to the President of Ireland and refers twice to the Republic of Ireland in accordance with the suggestion made by Mr. Menzies. The Australian Government, in an aide-mémoire handed to Dr. Kiernan on the 9th October, of which a copy is attached,3 rejected the amended draft.

  8. The Minister for External Affairs proposes to inform the Australian Government that:-
    1. The Irish Government would view with profound regret a decision on the part of the Australian Government not to proceed with the appointment of Mr. McGuire as Australia’s first Ambassador to Dublin.
    2. Dr. Kiernan had stressed our requirements to the Australian Department of External Affairs before the agrément was given and before the appointment of Mr. McGuire was publicly announced.
    3. The Irish Government had agreed to a suggestion mentioned by Mr. Menzies to Dr. Kiernan for a Letter of Credence to be addressed to the President of Ireland which would, however, refer to the Republic of Ireland twice in the text. The agreement to use the statutory description, Republic of Ireland, instead of the name of the State, Ireland, was given in order to meet the Australian Prime Minister’s wishes although with reluctance in view of the formal character of the occasion and of the generally established practice followed in the accredition of diplomatic representatives in Dublin.
    4. The Australians had referred in their communications to the fact that Letters of Credence addressed to ‘President Seán T. Ó Ceallaigh’ were accepted from the British Ambassador as recently as the 7th May, 1952. This departure from the normal practice was agreed to exceptionally by the Irish Government because they felt that diplomatic representation at the highest level was necessary between Dublin and London in order to develop the harmonious relations which they hope will one day be possible between Ireland and Britain and, in any case, the Letters of Credence of the Irish Ambassador to Britain were addressed to Queen Elizabeth II, and not, in the customary way, to the Sovereign in her full British Titles.

      Since the date mentioned, 7th May, 1952, an Australian Royal Title was proclaimed which is distinct from that of Britain and the terms of which will not need to be changed when the unity of Ireland is restored. Consequently, in accordance with the usual diplomatic practice, the Irish Government can use the full Australian Royal Title on Letters of Credence for presentation in Australia and accept it in the Letters of Credence of an Australian Ambassador.

    5. The Irish Government feel confident that the Australian Government will be willing to review the matter in the light of these considerations.
  1. The Minister for External Affairs seeks the approval of the Government for a communication to be sent to the Australian Government covering the points mentioned in paragraph 8 above.4

1 William Dignam, Australian High Commissioner to Ireland (1946-50).

2 Not printed.

3 Not printed.

4 See No. 229.



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