His Grace is Displeased: The Selected Correspondence of John Charles McQuaid

John Charles McQuaid thought like a demon, wrote like an angel, and was meticulous in attending to every detail of his ministry as Archbishop of Dublin. He was a voluminous correspondent, and this book exposes the venom and charity of this prelate, who touched and tampered with the lives of so many, both in Ireland and internationally. The Archbishop His Grace, as McQuaid liked to be known, had correspondents that ranged from Crumlin housewives to papal nuncios. There was no aspect of the religious and social life of Catholic Ireland that escaped his eye, and this legendary attention to detail is reflected in his illuminating correspondence. This book is the first collection of McQuaid’s correspondence, warts and all. It offers a flavor of the range of his activities in educational, health, ecclesiastical, political, and international affairs. Entertaining, accessible, and analytical, this book will appeal to a wide general readership, as well as to cultural historians, journalists, and theological scholars.