Irish Foreign Policy and the Art of Diplomacy: The Very Last Word
By Lt. Col. John P. Duggan
Edited by James JP Murphy
Introduction
This blog is intended as a preview to the definitive work on
the history of the Irish Diplomatic service, by Col. John P. Duggan (my
Grandfather). Col. Duggan began the project over twenty years ago, but his
commitments to other works (notably Herr
Hempel and the German Legation) pulled him away from completing the definitive
edit. And so, he asked me to collaborate in the campaign for its updating and publication
and I accepted that as both a challenge and an honour.
As Carl von Clausewitz stated ‘War is merely the continuation of policy by other means’. One could
therefore view this work on diplomacy as the third in a trilogy of histories by
Col. Duggan, beginning with the military focus of ‘Neutral Ireland and the Third Reich’, and ‘A History of the Irish Army’, before applying their forensic method
and acclaimed authorial voice to a focus on foreign policy.
The book is accessible to those without prior grounding in
Irish history and enlightening to any reader already familiar with the facts. It
is also that rare beast: an historical ‘page turner’. Each chapter grants new
insight to the very character of the Irish nation, from its troubled yet
determined beginnings through to its future roles on the European and global
stages.
There is something for everyone here. There are the
obligatory episodes headlined by heroes of the early Republic. The dialogues
between Eamon De Valera and Michael Collins are a joy to read and are complimented
by new spotlights on unsung heroes (notably
Arthur Griffith and his contributions to the Anglo-Irish treaty of 1921).
But this is more than a tome on Irish Diplomacy. It is a
carousel tour of historical method, Col. Duggan having combined narrative and
linear styles with thematic chapter headings. That distinct structure is one of
the book’s selling points, and enabled a further and final edit to bring things
up to date.
In a post Cold-War,
post Berlin Wall and post 9/11 world, Ireland can no longer harness the
protections afforded by anachronistic ‘neutrality’. Every free nation is now
arguably at war, both with ‘terror’ and the threats posed by economic meltdown.
Ireland is not exempt from those pressingly painful problems, but can confront
the issues as a valued and independent member of the European and global
families. The language, art and science of diplomacy enabled that transition.
I have therefore consolidated and updated Col. Duggan’s original
work, via reference to the vast archive of his letters and other contributions
to newspapers and historical journals. That process began about three years ago
and I made regular visits to Dublin to consult with the author on the shape of
the final text.
Most recently, we looked at a new foreword and afterword. ‘Don’t be too panoramic or arch in the
editing’, advised the author. I assured him that I would treat the text
with the reverence it deserved as ‘the best thing you ever wrote’.
I was suddenly and sharply corrected by him: ‘Don’t you mean it is the best thing I have
ever written? Watch your grammar!’ It is that level of precision and
perfectionism that you will find in the excerpts that I share here online, on
the road to publication in print.
This is the definitive work on Irish diplomacy and provides
a guide to the pervasive processes of forging foreign policy in any nation. It
has been a privilege to work on this book and I look forward to updating you
all as it progresses towards its destiny on the printed page.
