Madam, – In response to Ger McCloskey (August 1st), I would like to point out that it is a matter of public record that Richard Mulcahy unequivocally accepted the authority of Dáil Éireann from the time he was first elected in January 1919 until he retired as a TD in 1961. When the people at last got an opportunity to give their verdict on the Treaty settlement in May 1922, it was supported by a large majority. The Anti-Treaty candidates received 21.6 per cent of the first preference votes. The Anti-Treaty party opposed the implementation of the Treaty in arms and Michael Collins and Mulcahy directed all their energies in ensuring the will of the people prevailed. As Prof JJ Lee in Ireland 1912-1985 puts it: “The cause was the basic conflict in nationalist doctrine between majority right and divine right. The issue was whether the Irish people had the right to choose their own government at any time according to their judgment of the existing circumstances”. Mulcahy chose majority rights. There was never a question of the pro-Treaty side setting up a military dictatorship.
The policy of the executions, enacted by Dáil Éireann in September 1922, has been raked over many times, causing unfortunate bitterness and dissention among our people. The question is whether the Provisional (subsequently Free State) government was justified in adopting such draconian measures in order to implement the provisions of the Treaty. The consensus among modern historians is that unfortunately it was justified.
Mulcahy sought justification from his own contemporaries when he stood in the general election less than nine months after the execution of the four senior anti-Treaty leaders. He received 22,243 first preference votes, more than three and a half quotas, in Dublin City North. To my knowledge, no one has received a greater number of votes in any subsequent general election.
– Yours, etc,