Sir, – Your columnist Frank McNally thinks that the references by the Taoiseach to the contribution of Irish monks, especially Saints Gall and Columban, is “a bold rebranding strategy by any standards.” (An Irishman’s Diary, February 24th). But Enda Kenny is not the first politician to draw inspiration from the contribution of Irish monks towards moulding a European identity between the 6th and 8th centuries.
In 1950, a Congress was organised in Luxeuil, eastern France to celebrate the 14,000th Anniversary of the birth of St Columban. It was the brainchild of Robert Schuman who was the then French foreign minister and a tireless promoter of understanding and co-operation between European countries. He felt that the Congress would provide him with a platform to share his pro-European agenda with other European leaders. In 1950, the wounds inflicted by the second World War were still very fresh in people’s minds.
Ireland was well represented at the Congress. The taoiseach, John A Costello, the leader of the opposition, Éamon de Valera and the minister for external affairs, Seán MacBride attended. In his speech, taoiseach Costello stated “All statesmen of today might well turn their thoughts to St Columban and his teaching. History records that it was by men like him that civilisation was saved in the 6th century. We need men like him to save it now.”
Robert Schuman told the gathering, “St Columban, this illustrious Irishman who left his own country for voluntary exile, willed and achieved a spiritual union between the principal European countries of his time. He is the patron saint of all those who now seek to build a United Europe.”
At this very moment when the European Project, as envisaged by Schuman and prime minister Alicide Gasperi of Italy and chancellor Konrad Adenauer of Germany, is in danger of unravelling, maybe Columban’s ideals and values might give a new impetus and direction towards developing closer and more equitable relationships between all European nations, both small and large. – Yours, etc,