Former Taoiseach commemorated on the Southside

A LARGE crowd braved the rain to attend the first annual commemoration of former Taoiseach John A Costello in Deansgrange Cemetery, Blackrock, on Sunday, June 19.

The assembled included members of the Costello and Cosgrave families, past and present members of the judiciary, the Bar of Ireland, the Oireachtas and the four Dublin local authorities.

They gathered to hear an address by Dr David McCullagh, RTÉ journalist and author of ‘The Reluctant Taoiseach: A Biography of John A Costello’.

Organiser Cllr Barry Ward welcomed people to the event by commenting on how John A Costello is not as well remembered as he should be, despite his significant achievements and contributions to political and legal life.

Mr McCullagh was then introduced by Cllr Cormac Devlin, cathaoirleach of Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, which sponsored the event along with the Bar Council of Ireland.

Mr McCullagh gave an entertaining and informative talk in which he referred to John A Costello’s varied interests, including politics, the law, golf and his family.

He described the former Taoiseach and Attorney General as an unassuming, modest, extraordinarily kind — even to his opponents — and generous man. 

He noted that on Costello’s election as Taoiseach that he “really, genuinely didn’t want the job”.

 Although financial reasons are often mentioned, the truth — as Costello revealed in a letter to his son, Declan — was based on his fear that he would be a flop and would discredit the new government.

In concluding, Mr McCullagh drew parallels between the inter-party government and the present administration.

He noted that Costello’s greatest contribution was, perhaps, the skill with which he kept his two coalitions together.

John A Costello, a successful barrister and one of the first legal advisors to the newly formed Irish Free State, served as Attorney General to W T Cosgrave from 1926 to 1932.

He was Taoiseach from 1948 to 1951 and 1954 to 1957 as the leader of Ireland’s first inter-party government.

Significantly, he was responsible for declaring Ireland a Republic in 1948.

He is buried with his wife and son in Deansgrange Cemetery in Blackrock.

The event ws also attended by local Fine Gael TD, Josepha Madigan, and Cllr Barry Ward.

The Costello Commemoration is a free, non-political event. Plans are already being hatched for next year’s event to be held in June.

David McCullagh’s book on Costello is highly recommended.