FROM THE ARCHIVES:A last-minute decision by the Free State government to ban trains bringing people to the Wolfe Tone commemoration at Bodenstown led to this blatant piece of electioneering in the Dáil. – JOE JOYCE
the Government banned the running of the trains, and, at the same time, they left themselves open to ridicule by permitting a fleet of thirty buses, run by the same company whom they had ordered to cancel the trains, to transport the people of Dublin holding railway tickets to the celebration at Bodenstown.
Mr. Fitzgerald-Kenney said Deputy Mullins was misinformed when he said that there were wild rumours and sensations because the trains were stopped. The comfort to the public was that steps had been taken to prevent an illegal assembly, and he was responsible for taking these steps. The parade on last Sunday was to be a parade of illegal association, and he had very interesting documents in his possession dealing with these and other events. In one of the document from Deputy Aiken, who was the so-called “Chief of Staff” of the army of which Deputy Lemass was the “Minister for Defence,” there was comment upon the military parade at Bodenstown in 1925.
Deputy Aiken, in that document, wrote to Commandant Sean MacBride, who, apparently, thought it unwise to have such a parade, as follows: “We must always go forward to an objective in a straight manner, and it should not matter to an individual member of Sinn Fein or a Volunteer whether it means peace, war or unrest, or whether it means a peaceful victory or a victory by use of arms, or whether victory will come in his day or not. A military parade at Bodenstown is, I consider, the best answer we can give at the moment to the Free Staters’ decree that we must only strive for freedom in a way which would dishonour the nation.”
The Minister: I have another interesting document here. It was sent to Deputy de Valera just about the same time, on the 7th April, 1925, by Deputy Lemass, and which we captured.
At this stage there were loud cries of “Come to last Sunday,” “What has 1925 to do with 1931?” and “The Kildare Election.”
The Speaker: The Minister has already quoted some documents, and I find it difficult to see the relevance of the documents.
The Minister: The relevancy is this – it shows that the object with which this particular would-be war-like association is kept alive.
Mr. Mullins (excitedly): Why were the trains stopped on Sunday? Was there any revolutionary conspiracy then?
There were further interruptions, and cries of “Get back to 1931,” and the Minister was heard to say that the deputies opposite knew they had no chance unless they managed to keep this country in a state of disorder.
Mr. Mullins: Was a revolution to take place last Sunday?
The Speaker: Deputy Mullins is following the old principle of not allowing the Minister to reply.
Mr. Mullins: Rubbish!
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