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Martin Glynn's Great Work for Ireland |
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Martin Glynn's Great Work for Ireland |
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Martin H. Glynn and his friends, proud of his rise, amid numerous handicaps, from humble Irish parentage, to places of honor and power, cherish as his most valuable achievement the part he played in the formation of the Irish Free State. All was chaos and bitterness in 1921 when the former Governor went to Europe and held conferences with Eamon DeValera, Michael Collins, and Arthur Griffith, leaders in Ireland, and then consulted Premier David Lloyd George of Great Britain. These conferences led to a meeting of both sides, to suspension of hostilities and agreement on which was laid the foundation of the Irish Free State. Mr. George two years later visited the United States and in an address at Albany, October 26, 1923, with Mr. Glynn present, described what the former Governor had done in bringing Great Britain and the Irish leaders together. He said: "Governor Glynn and I, in a dingy room in London, the office of the Prime Minister, had most unusual conferences of momentous results. He told me very frankly how the Irish people viewed the feud of centuries and what they desired in the way of liberty; how the American people felt on the subject, and I told him, equally frankly, what I believed to be the purpose of Great Britain. "At the end of those interviews, he took my views to the Irish leaders, and brought their hopes and aspirations, clarified to me. Out of this exchange sprang the new Ireland, the Irish Free State. “The people of Albany -- Governor Glynn's townsmen -- should feel highly honored, because no man did more to bring a settlement of the Irish question, no man did more to end the feud that had existed for 700 years then your distinguished fellow citizen, Martin H. Glynn. And I am glad to be in your city to bear testimony to you of the great help he brought to me." It was while Mr. Glynn was abroad early in 1921 that he performed his services in the aid of peace between Ireland and England. He gave the following account of his work in December, 1921, when he returned to his home at Albany: "My work in the matter," he said, "started in Rome in a meeting with Bishop Mannix of Australia and others. Bishop Mannix and I were together in London and worked together there. Archbishop (now Cardinal) Hayes of New York did great work for the cause in Rome. Someday I will write the details of this mission but this is not the time. But this I will say: through me, Lloyd George invited Mr. De Valera to come to London to try to settle the Irish question 'without exacting promises or making conditions.' He said that if Mr. De Valera would accept the invitation on these terms, the Irish question could be settled, not in one meeting, but in a series of meetings. Mr. De Valera accepted, and it turned out at Lloyd George was right. "The Prime Minister held that a serious of conferences would lead to a settlement without Ireland going out of the British Empire and yet taking her place among the nations of the world. Lloyd George told me that the ambition of his life was to settle the Irish question with the same pen with which he signed the armistice. England has done a generous thing and the Irish people through their leaders have one of glorious victory." Speaking of Lloyd George's part in the negotiations, Mr. Glynn said: "He kept every promise he sent to Mr. De Valera through me and the world owes Lloyd George a debt of gratitude for what he has done." [ A Note on the Irish Free State ] [ Martin H. Glynn | About Valatie | About VFL | Home ] |