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New information about WB Yeats’ remains available in State documents.
Eolas nua faoi thaisí WB Yeats ar fáil i gcáipéisí an Stáit.
RTÉ News and Current Affairs The Department of Foreign Affairs decided to suppress information given to them in the late seventies about the remains of the poet WB Yeats.
Nuacht agus Cúrsaí Reatha RTÉ Chinn an Roinn Gnóthaí Eachtracha eolas a tugadh dóibh ag deireadh na seachtóidí faoi thaisí an fhile W B Yeats a chur faoi chois.
In fact, the Department thought that a member of the famous Gluckstein family in London was blackmailing the State when he claimed to have evidence that the bones were not WB’s.
Go deimhin, shíl an Roinn go raibh ball de theaghlach cáiliúil Gluckstein i Londain ag déanamh dúmhál ar an Stát nuair a mhaígh sé go raibh fianaise aige nárbh iad cnámha W.B.
Yeats was buried in Sligo.
Yeats a bhí curtha i Sligeach.
It emerged 10 years ago in French State documents that the remains buried in the cemetery in Drumcliabh in Sligo are unlikely to be those of WB Yeats.
Tháinig sé chun solais 10 mbliana ó shin i gcáipéisí Stáit de chuid na Fraince nach dócha gur taisí W B Yeats atá curtha sa reilig i nDroim Chliabh i Sligeach.
The poet died in Roquebrune, France, in 1939 and was buried in a pauper’s grave.
Cailleadh an file i Roquebrune na Fraince sa bhliain 1939 agus cuireadh é in uaigh bhochtáin.
A grand ceremony was held in Ireland in 1948 when a naval ship brought his remains back to his homeland.
Reáchtáladh searmanas mór in Éirinn in 1948 nuair a thug long cabhlaigh a chuid taisí ar ais go dtí a thír dhúchais.
He was buried in Drumcliabh in County Sligo with great pomp and ceremony.
Cuireadh é i nDroim Chliabh i gContae Shligigh le mustar is mórdháil.
But Yeats’ remains were so mixed with many others in the morgue that there was no way to distinguish them from other people buried there.
Ach b’amhlaidh go raibh taisí Yeats measctha le go leor eile sa mharbhlann agus nach raibh aon dóigh go bhféadfaí idirdhealú a dhéanamh idir iad agus daoine eile a bhí curtha ann.
The pauper’s grave had a five-year lease and was exhumed in 1946 and the poet’s bones were interred with those of many others.
Bhí léas cúig bliana ar uaigh an bhochtáin agus dí-adhlacadh é i 1946 agus cuireadh cnámha an fhile isteach le cnámha go leor daoine eile.
Therefore, it is unlikely that the collection of bones sent back to Ireland belonged to Yeats at all.
Mar sin, ní dócha gur le Yeats an cnuasach cnámha a seoladh ar ais go hÉirinn in aon chor.
A Department of Foreign Affairs file now available in the National Archives due to the 30 Year Rule, provides fresh insight into the controversy.
Tugann comhad de chuid na Roinne Gnóthaí Eachtracha atá ar fáil anois sa Chartlann Náisiúnta de bharr na Rialach 30 Bliain, léargas úr ar an chonspóid.
On June 29, 1978, the Irish Ambassador to Britain submitted a confidential report to the Department on the matter.
An 29 Meitheamh, 1978 chuir Ambasadóir na hÉireann chun na Breataine tuairisc rúnda faoi bhráid na Roinne faoin scéal.
A member of the Gluckstein family contacted Ambassador Paul Keating with updated information about the situation.
Chuaigh ball de theaghlach Gluckstein i dteagmháil leis an ambasadóir Paul Keating le heolas úr faoin scéal.
Gluckstein (Ms Gluck) was very close to Edith Heald, a close friend of Yeats.
Gluckstein (Ms Gluck) an-mhór le Edith Heald, dlúthchara de chuid Yeats.
Heald had documents in his possession relating to Yeats’ burial and these were left in Ms Gluck’s will.
Bhí doiciméid i seilbh Heald a bhain le hadhlacadh Yeats agus fágadh iad sin le huacht ag Ms Gluck.
Gluckstein handed copies of these letters to the Ambassador.
Thug Gluckstein cóipeanna de na litreacha seo ar lámh don Ambasadóir.
They indicated that it would be impossible to find Yeats’s bones in the morgue and confirmed that the bones brought back to Ireland by naval ship for the state funeral in 1948 were not those of the poet.
Tugadh le fios iontu go mbeadh sé dodhéanta cnámha Yeats a aimsiú sa mharbhlann agus deimhníodh nárbh iad cnámha an fhile a thug an long cabhlaigh ar ais go hÉirinn don tsochraid stáit i 1948.
The Ambassador said that Gluckstein wanted to avoid a scandal.
Dúirt an tAmbasadóir go raibh Gluckstein ag iarraidh scannal a sheachaint.
He suggested, however, that the story be kept under wraps: “There is obviously the making of a scandal here but one which is not really very damaging in any real sense to anybody except the immediate members of the Yeats family.”
Mhol sé, áfach, go gcuirfí an scéal faoi cheilt: “There is obviously the making of a scandal here but one which is not really very damaging in any real sense to anybody except the immediate members of the Yeats family.
It would, however, be as well, if it were possible, to scotch it.”
It would, however, be as well, if it were possible, to scotch it.”
In his conversation with the Ambassador, Gluckstein mentioned that the letters had great financial value and the Department of Foreign Affairs was concerned that Gluckstein was trying to blackmail them.
Sa chomhrá a bhí aige leis an Ambasadóir, luaigh Gluckstein go raibh luach mór airgeadais ag baint leis na litreacha agus bhí an Roinn Gnóthaí Eachtracha buartha go raibh Gluckstein ag iarraidh dúmhál a chur orthu.
“I do not believe that Gluckstein is a blackmailer but if we do not treat him with some consideration he may become ill-disposed to us and may not worry about embarrassing us or the Yeats family,” wrote Ambassador Keating to the Department’s Secretary General, Andrew O’Rourke.
“I do not believe that Gluckstein is a blackmailer but if we do not treat him with some consideration he may become ill-disposed to us and may not worry about embarrassing us or the Yeats family,” a scríobh an tAmbasadóir Keating chuig Ard-Rúnaí na Roinne, Andrew O’Rourke.
But it was clear that the Department’s suspicions were well-founded.
Ach ba léir go raibh bunús le hamhras na Roinne.
Gluckstein repeatedly demanded that the Ambassador return the documents to him because, in his opinion, it was clear that the State had made no progress on the issue.
D’éiligh Gluckstein arís is arís eile go dtabharfadh an tAmbasadóir na cáipéisí ar ais dó mar gur léir, dar leis, nach raibh aon dul chun cinn déanta ag an Stát ar an cheist.
He wanted to get them back so he could decide on the next step.
Bhí sé ag iarraidh iad a fháil ar ais le go bhféadfadh sé cinneadh a dhéanamh faoin chéad chéim eile.
The copies were returned to Gluckstein but were never published.
Tugadh na cóipeanna ar ais do Gluckstein ach níor foilsíodh riamh iad.
As an addendum to the story, Paula Ní Shlatara from the Irish Embassy to France met with Philippe Benoist who represented the French Minister of Foreign Affairs at the ceremony in 1948.
Mar aguisín ar an scéal, chas Paula Ní Shlatara ó Ambasáid na hÉireann chun na Fraince le Philippe Benoist a rinne ionadaíocht ar Aire Gnóthaí Eachtracha na Fraince ag an searmanas i 1948.
He said that the Irish representatives and himself had taken a tour of Roquebrune the day before the ceremony.
Dúirt seisean gur thug ionadaithe na hÉireann agus é fhéin turas ar Roquebrune an lá roimh an tsearmanas.
They met one of the grave diggers who was discussing the exhumation in a local café: “He said that it had been an unpleasant job but not as difficult as he had expected, as he had recognised the remains immediately: the skeleton was intact and Yeats’ large skull was unmistakeable; furthermore, the skeleton was still in the surgical corset in which Yeats had been buried,” wrote Paula Ní Shlatarta on 6 September, 1979.
Chas siad le duine de na tochaltóirí uaigheanna a bhí ag plé leis an dí-adhlacadh i gcaifé ar an bhaile: “He said that it had been an unpleasant job but not as difficult as he had expected, as he had recognised the remains immediately: the skeleton was intact and Yeats’ large skull was unmistakeable; furthermore, the skeleton was still in the surgical corset in which Yeats had been buried,” a scríobh Paula Ní Shlatarta an 6 Meán Fómhair, 1979.
Ultimately, the Department’s Secretary General, Andrew O’Rourke, concluded that Gluckstein’s speculation was well-founded.
I ndeireadh ama, b’é an chonclúid a bhí ag Ard-Rúnaí na Roinne, Andrew O’Rourke, ná go raibh bunús le tuairimíocht Gluckstein.
“There is probably sufficient material in these papers to cast a veneer of doubt and suspicion over the proceedings.
“There is probably sufficient material in these papers to cast a veneer of doubt and suspicion over the proceedings.
The contradictory evidence of the official documentation and the personal accounts does nothing to dispel this impression,” he wrote.
The contradictory evidence of the official documentation and the personal accounts does nothing to dispel this impression,” a scríobh sé.
The Irish Ambassador to Britain, Éamonn Kennedy, informed Gluckstein on May 16, 1980, that it would not be appropriate for the State “to express particular views or to offer guidance on the disposal of the papers.”
Thug Ambasadóir na hÉireann chun na Breataine, Éamonn Kennedy, le fios do Gluckstein an 16 Bealtaine, 1980 nach mbeadh sé cuí don Stát “to express particular views or to offer guidance on the disposal of the papers.”
He was not given any money.
Níor tugadh aon airgead dó.
There was also talk of returning the remains of the author, James Joyce, to Ireland.
Bhí caint fosta go dtabharfaí taisí an údair, James Joyce, ar ais go hÉirinn.
Joyce was buried in Zurich, Switzerland in 1941.
Cuireadh Joyce i Zurich na hEilvéise sa bhliain 1941.
The Minister for Slaine, Seán Flanagan, wrote to the Taoiseach, Jack Lynch, on 28 May 1968, indicating that the writer Ulick O’Connor had told him that the author’s son, Georgio Joyce, was very keen to have his father’s remains returned to Ireland if official permission were obtained from the Government.
Scríobh an tAire Sláine, Seán Flanagan, chuig an Taoiseach, Jack Lynch, an 28 Bealtaine 1968 ag cur in iúl gur inis an scríbhneoir Ulick O’Connor dó go raibh mac an údair, Georgio Joyce, go mór i bhfách le taisí a athar a thabhairt ar ais go hÉirinn dá bhfaighfí cead oifigiúil ón Rialtas.
Minister Flanagan stated that he intended to submit the proposal to Cabinet.
Mhaígh an tAire Flanagan go raibh rún aige an moladh a chur faoi bhráid na Comh-Aireachta.
The Taoiseach, however, said that he was skeptical about Georgio Joyce’s reference to the role of the state: “In this connection, can you say to what extent Mr Joyce would expect that the Government would be involved in the financial or other arrangements?”, the Taoiseach wrote.
Dúirt an Taoiseach, áfach, go raibh sé in amhras faoi thagairt a rinne Georgio Joyce do ról an stáit: “In this connexion, can you say to what extent Mr Joyce would expect that the Government would be involved in the financial or other arrangements?”, a scríobh an Taoiseach.
In a handwritten note under that letter, it was stated that further information from Ulick O’Connor was awaited.
I nóta lámhscríofa faoin litir sin, dúradh go rabhthas ag fanacht lena thuilleadh eolais ó Ulick O’Connor.
A few months later the story was closed with a handwritten note “No further developments to date.”
Cúpla mí ina dhiaidh sin cuireadh clabhsúr leis an scéal le nóta lámhscríofa “No further developments to date.”
