Pilgrims Travelled from across the globe to Dublin 1932 Eucharistic Congress | Season 4 – Episode 75
Floats, Wheels, Wings Oct 03, 2024
In scenes of mass enthusiasm that would seem out of place in the Ireland of today, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from around the world flocked to the 31st International Eucharistic Congress, held in Dublin from June 22nd – 26th 1932.
From all over Ireland people flocked into Dublin on trains, charabancs and busses. International pilgrims arrived on liners docking at Alexandra Basin, Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, and Scotsman’s Bay off Sandycove. The Blue Hussars, the Mounted Presidential Escort, made their debut escorting at the event.
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The Eucharistic Congress was held to celebrate the 1,500th anniversary of the beginning of St Patrick’s mission to Ireland and the only subsequent event to compare in scale of attending crowds was the 1979 visit of Pope John Paul II.
SHOWCASING THE FREE STATE
In 1932, Ireland aimed to showcase its national pride just ten years after the establishment of the Irish Free State in December 1922. The Fianna Fáil government worked to present the nation to the world.
How did the government manage to facilitate the arrival and stay of so many individuals in Dublin simultaneously? Even with modern communications, organising such a large influx of people to Dublin today, would pose a transport and logistics nightmare, especially given the city’s limited mass transit and accommodation options in 1932.
MATTRESS PRODUCTION
The country shifted into overdrive, prioritising mattress production to address the predicted short-term accommodation crisis resulting from the influx of people traveling to Dublin, particularly from other regions of Ireland,
Hotels and guest houses built additional rooms and Dubliner’s were encouraged to provide B&B to visiting relatives and if possible international pilgrims. The majority of the international pilgrims were housed in tented camps built on the north side of the city in Cabra and Artane.
If these preparations weren’t enough, overflow locations were designated for emergency accommodations, including national schools and town halls throughout the greater Dublin area.
OCEAN LINERS
For many travellers from abroad, especially from America, the liners they arrived on also acted as their “floating hotels.” The various liners docked in Alexandra Basin and Sir John Rogerson’s Quay in the city centre, and Scotman’s Bay off Sandycove presented a stunning sight, particularly when lit up at night.
ONE MILLION PEOPLE
The highlight of the congress was the High Mass in Phoenix Park on 26th June, attended by an estimated one million people. It featured a live broadcast by Pope Pius XI and a performance by renowned tenor Count John McCormack. The mass was transmitted through the world’s largest PA system, turning Dublin into a vast open-air church.
Following the mass, a large procession moved from the park to the city centre along the city quays, splitting at Capel and Parliament Streets, then reuniting at O’Connell Bridge, where an altar was set up for the benediction service.
PAPAL LEGATE’S TOUR
During his final week in Ireland, the cardinal legate (representing the Pope) Lauri, Lorenzo, visited several Irish towns by road and by specially chartered trains including Newry, Thurles, Mallow and Killarney.
AIR COVER
The Army Aer Corps conducted welcoming flyovers for Cardinal Legate Lauri Lorenzo upon his arrival at Dún Laoghaire. They also captured numerous aerial photographs, providing us with a glimpse of the large ocean liners that travelled from around the globe to Ireland in the summer of 1932.
ROAD CRASH
To enable transportation from across Ireland to the 1932 Eucharistic Congress, the government encouraged the use of all available transport and enacted the Eucharistic Congress (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1932, which included special traffic control regulations. Individuals without insurance were granted exemptions for the event’s duration.
Considering that hundreds of thousands of people were moving in and out of Dublin and that many drivers lacked insurance or experience, it is remarkable that there was only one reported fatal road crash during the Eucharistic Congress.
At around 3:00 am a lorry belonging to H. Williams Ltd. of Tullamore, County Offaly, was transporting workers back from the Phoenix Park Mass when the driver, unfamiliar with the road leading into Leixlip, County Kildare, took the corner at the Salmon Leap Pub too quickly and crashed into the bridge parapet. All thirty-one passengers in the open-backed lorry were thrown over the parapet, and landed on the riverbank about twenty feet below, while a few tumbled into the River Liffey.
Local residents quickly organised and the nearby pub was used to treat the injured, unfortunately, one person died at the scene, and another later in the hospital.
BLUE HUSSARS
With Ireland in the spotlight, a Mounted Escort was deemed necessary for official duties during the Eucharistic Congress, including the escort of the Papal Legate.
Artist Seán Keating was invited to lead a committee tasked with designing a uniform that blended modernity with Irish style. His design featured a saffron léine tunic adorned with six rows of black braid, complemented by black cuffs, a blue brat cloak, pantaloons, and a black Balmoral bonnet with a saffron feather.
However, the Army rejected the committee’s recommendations and chose instead to adopt the uniform of the British 8th King’s Royal Irish Hussars. This consisted of a blue tunic and breeches with yellow frogging and lace, paired with a black sealskin busby featuring a yellow-orange plume. The primary distinction was that while the 8th used dark blue, the Irish Mounted Escort opted for a sapphire blue. Seventy uniforms were purchased at a cost of £2,165.
The blue uniforms and distinctive cut of the Mounted Escort quickly earned them the nickname “the Blue Hussars” and the name stuck.
The Mounted Escort formation comprised a total of eighty horses, including an advance guard of two, a single connecting file, two flanking riders, and two troops of thirty.
Most personnel in the Mounted Escort were from the Artillery Corps, the only branch of the Irish Defence Forces using horses in significant numbers during the 1930s. The Escort was not a permanent unit; it assembled for public duties, rehearsals, and participated in horse shows and gymkhanas.
The establishment of the Presidency of Ireland in December 1937 designated the Blue Hussars for Presidential ceremonies. Notably, they escorted President Seán T. O’Kelly to the 1945 inauguration in the late Queen Alexandra’s horse-drawn landau (carriage), marking the first and only instance of a president arriving in a horse-drawn carriage instead of a car.
The Blue Hussars were officially disbanded in 1948, 2 Cavalry Squadron took over their role and was briefly equipped with blue Honda motorcycles in their honour. As a result, this unit was occasionally referred to as the Blue Hussars.
If you have an idea for a story, email Kevin Reid [email protected]
Information Sources and Photo Credits:
Archiseek
Andrew Cusack Blog – Xander Fraser
British Pathé – Gaumont – Reuters
Capuchin Archives
Conor Casey
History Ireland
Last stand on zombie island
Michael Farry Blogspot
Military Archives
Military Archives Image Database
National Library of Ireland
The Longford Eye
The Lucan Newsletter
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