Sir, - Father John Fitzpatrick, a former secretary of Archbishop John Charles McQuaid, should read my forthcoming book, John Charles McQuaid, Ruler of Catholic Ireland, before rushing to a moralistic judgment on the basis of newspaper reports and the frantic media debate which was polarised to some degree by the intervention of officials of the Communications Office of the Dublin Diocese.
There are very many important issues and revelations in relation to Dr McQuaid raised in my book, which is a scholarly work running to almost 600 pages, 76 of which are notes relating to archival sources, primarily but not exclusively the McQuaid Papers. In particular it reveals the extent of his extraordinary access to and influence on the most important political figures of the time, including Eamon de Valera, which resulted in his co-authoring of the Irish Constitution; his anti-Semitism; his attempts to crush any organisations with Protestant affiliations; and his secret network of informants who reported on every area of Irish life. His was a power unequalled by any secular or clerical figure of that era.
The book runs from 1895 to 1973 and deals extensively with political and social matters involving W.T. Cosgrave, John A. Costello, Sean MacBride, Sean Lemass, Jack Lynch, Charlie Haughey, five Popes, Cardinal Spellman, senior civil servants and all the great issues of the emerging Irish State.
In the course of my research I discovered the allegation made by a school inspector to Dr Noel Browne that the Archbishop reportedly made improper sexual advances to a publican's son.
My dilemma was whether to suppress this document or to place it in the public domain for calm and objective debate. The Archdiocese's instant and constant denunciation of my finding, ahead of the book's publication has made honest debate very difficult.
Your readers should know that senior personnel of the Dublin Archdiocese refused to meet me for an interview at which we could have discussed the many questions raised by me in my book. Among those who turned down my request for interview were Archbishop Desmond Connell, retired Bishops James Kavanagh and Desmond Williams, the Diocesan Chancellor, Monsignor Gerard Sheehy, and Fr John Fitzpatrick himself. Inspector Joe Devane, who investigated allegations against McQuaid, also refused me an interview.
Father Fitzpatrick purports to invoke a moral law to prohibit my publication of the Noel Browne document. Thankfully, we live in more open-minded days, free of clerical censorship based on a moral monopoly by the Catholic Church like that of Dr McQuaid's time.
My duty was to report the existence of the allegation, now lodged in Dr Browne's papers in Trinity College Dublin.
During an interview in 1995 the late Mrs Mercy Simms, wife of the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin, George Otto Simms, and a lady who was generally positively disposed to Dr McQuaid, made an observation to me which I quote in the book: that Dr McQuaid, whom she knew over many years, showed an unhealthy interest in young boys. The book also reveals that Dr McQuaid built up a private library of sexual literature, including pornographic works which were banned under the State's censorship laws.
Until now, the Archdiocese of Dublin has not released to researchers its papers relating to Artane, Goldenbridge, Madonna House and Finglas Remand Home, all institutions with connections to Dr McQuaid. I call on them now to open these papers as part of an informed public debate.
From my research it is clear that, managerially, Dr McQuaid delegated different tasks to different secretaries, so neither Fr Fitzpatrick, who worked with Dr McQuaid toward the end of his life, nor any of his other priest secretaries knew the whole picture. His priest secretaries did not accompany him on all occasions and he would sometimes be accompanied on his travels only by his chauffeur or his valet (neither of them priests).
The book reveals for the first time an amazing record of 25 years of meetings of the Hierarchy, held in strict secrecy. This is based on Dr McQuaid's collection of the official records and his own highly personal notes and recorded thoughts.
Perhaps it is understandable that some church leaders have real fears about my book and have decided to "get their retaliation in first". However I would ask readers not to make a judgment until they have read the book itself, which will be available from November 14th. - Yours, etc.,
John Cooney, Eaton Square, Dublin 6.