Key to an assessment of the importance of Muintir na Tíre to Ireland was its relationship with the Catholic Church and the Irish state. The changing nature of that relationship is indicative of the transformation that took place in Ireland during the twentieth century. Government, the Church and society were inward-looking and distrustful of novelty in for example the immediate post WWII period but gradually they each opened up to new ideas about politics, the economy and religion. In that context, Muintir na Tíre, a civil society organisation active at the parochial level and with the protection and preservation of rural Ireland at its centre, increasingly sought to engage with national and local authorities. The tensions between tradition and modernisation inherent in initiatives such as the Parish Plan of the 1950s and contributions towards, for example, rural electrification thus lay at the heart of the movement.
Particularly
crucial to Muintir’s success or otherwise was the Catholic Church’s attitude
which ranged from leadership and praise to indifference and opposition, even
hostility. Consequently, Muintir’s attempts to build a
nationwide structure and profile were only partially successful, and often
resisted. The organisations expansion from its Munster heartland into other
parts of Ireland was simultaneously supported and opposed by different priests
and members of the hierarchy. Amongst its foremost advocates were, of course,
Canon John Hayes, Archbishop Thomas Morris of Cashel and Emly and Jeremiah
Newman, the future Bishop of Limerick. More surprising is the active support of
Bishops Cornelius Lucey of Cork and Ross and Michael Browne of Galway
especially when contrasted with the attitude of Archbishop John Charles McQuaid
of Dublin. For the latter, Muintir was not Catholic and therefore could not be
trusted to represent farmers or rural people. Preventing the organisations growth
in the capital, McQuaid could not have been further from other bishops but most
dramatically Pope Pius XII who in 1954 had commended Hayes and the choice of
the parish as Muintir’s central unit. Such praise for Muintir along with his
reference to Christian rather than Catholic is notable. As an organisation,
Muintir sought to embrace all classes and creeds and at least under Hayes
advocate a vocationalist Ireland, with a strong emphasis on the papal
encyclicals.
What was key then to the success or
otherwise of Muintir was the attitude of the local bishop and priest. At the
same time, Munitir itself, following the death of Canon Hayes in 1958, underwent a
significant transition. Initially inspired by Catholic social teaching, community
development became its raison d’être from the late 1950s with the greater part
of its work falling into the educational field. What followed was a greater
engagement with local, national and supranational authorities. This was
highlighted by the practical and financial support the organisation received
from James Dillon and especially Seán Lemass. The contrast in Lemass’ and Eamon
de Valera’s positions is notable. Committed to a self-sufficient Ireland, de
Valera remained unwilling to fund Muintir or intervene in the economy and
society while Lemass was somewhat impatient with the lack of support his
Ministers gave to Munitir’s proposals which were designed to develop rural
Ireland.
The change in Munitir’s modus vivendi
reflected concerns as to the effectiveness of the organisation. These centered
on the range of issues it examined along with its need to address local and
national audiences. Replacing vocationalism as its core ideology, Community
development thus resolved some of the tensions between traditionalism and
modernism. Muintir’s importance thus lay in its role in questioning the type of
Ireland that was emerging. As a conduit for understanding rural Ireland and
explaining the nature of state policy and what this meant to a local and national
as well as an international audience, Muintir remained during much of the
twentieth century a significant example of civil activism. More than that, a
brief consideration of the organisation highlights the diversity of views found
within the Catholic Church and serves as a warning not to treat it as a
monolith. As to the continued relevance of Muintir na Tíre and civil society
organisations in contemporary Ireland, de Valera’s warnings as to the dangers
of state interference remain prescient as the appropriate balance between
government and voluntary organisations continues to present a significant
challenge in the twenty-first century.
Dr Tomás
Finn is a lecturer in History at NUI, Galway. His research interests include
modern Irish and British history and politics, the role of intellectuals,
public policy, Church-State relations and Northern Ireland.
To see what is help in the Muintir na Tire Collection at NUI Galway visit http://archivesearch.library.nuigalway.ie/nuig/calmview/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=P134
