Sir, – Carol Coulter seems to think O’Casey “snubbed” Queen Elizabeth when he declined the offer of a CBE in 1963 (Front page, January 27th). She links this matter to O’Casey’s “rejecting” honours from universities while being “happy to accept prizes for literature and drama”. She ignores the fact that these latter were few and far between. In particular, she omits to say that O’Casey more than once opposed his nomination for the Nobel Prize in Literature, always on the grounds that as Joyce was never so honoured he could never accept nomination. He spoke up for Joyce at every opportunity.
The inference that his "rejection" of the offer of an honorary doctorate from TCD in 1961 was somehow linked to his mood following the controversy over his play The Drums of Father Nedin 1958 is quite wrong. In fact his letter in declining was very appreciative, and he added: "It would be an odd thing for me who as a youngster used to admire the clock on the facade, with its blue face and golden hands, but wouldnt [sic] venture within the railings, and should now go in, and come out wearing the hood of a fine and honoring [sic] Degree. ... No, Sir, this would never do".
The offer of a CBE was made through Harold Macmillan’s high opinion as publisher of all of O’Casey’s works over 37 years. To decline the offer was difficult for O’Casey, but the wording of the letter from the prime minister’s office was such that he had no choice. He wrote back immediately: “I imagine that such an honour would not be suitable for my nature or feeling, or any honour of this kind, so I regret that I have to refuse the offered decoration”.
It amazes me, as O'Casey's biographer, how Dublin commentators on O'Casey must always construe all he did in a negative fashion. It is a case of "ever the bitther word", as Jerry Devine says to Mary Boyle in Juno and the Paycock.
O’Casey was a humble man, never one to look for reward or honour for what he wrote, and also extremely courteous and polite in his dealings with those who had his interests at heart. It is about time that in his native city there should be an end to the invariable imputation that because he was tough-minded he was an ignorant lout. – Yours, etc,