Getting to Lourdes in 1924

Archives | State Papers

Echoes of the past from the archives

Whatever the difficulties of travel between Ireland and the US, UK and Europe in the post-Great War years, they did not affect Irish people making the Second National Pilgrimage to Lourdes on September 29, 1924.

Most of those going on the pilgrimage were not the sort of people who normally held a passport. The government of the Free State and the Republic of France recognised this. Identity cards, which had come into use in the war time years, were valid.

A memo from the Ministry of External Affairs to the secretary of the Department of Justice outlines the scheme.

An identity card was issued in four detachable sections, one of which was to be given up on embarking at Dublin, one on landing at Pauillac in France, one on embarking for the return journey at Bordeaux, and the main section to be surrendered on arrival back.

The cards were issued to both citizens of Saorstat Eireann and citizens of the six counties of Northern Ireland. The Emigration Officer on the North Wall Extension was duly informed of the arrangement.

Reply

But the Department of Justice observed in reply to Emigration that Messers Cook & Son were making the arrangements and were the company running SS Chicago (of the French Line), which arrived to board passengers on September 29.

Emigration, with an eye on other aspects of external relations, noted exception might be taken to the term “Citizens of the Government of Northern Ireland”. The people there were not citizens, but subjects of the King. The phrase ‘Address in the Government of Saorstat Ireland’ is also obviously incorrect.”

The status of the six northern counties would be a fixation of the authorities in Dublin for decades to come, whatever about the easy arrangements with France.

[File 2014/85/76]