In Trinity he was captain of the University Football team for part of 1867-68, Dobbs
having left for India, played for Ireland at cricket from 1865 to .1868, and won the
University hurdle races in the same years. He was also the Trinity pole vaulting
champion at this time, and rowed with the University from its boathouse at Ringsend.
In 1866 his father became Bishop of Limerick and Arnold aged 19 years and Alfred
aged 20 years were able to take rooms in Trinity. Alfred describes some of the Town
and Gown rows which took place between the students and certain rowdy young
citizens of Dublin, and when the police rode in the front gate of Trinity to break them
up, the opposing forces usually combined and turned on the police.
From 1872 to 1879 Arnold practised at the Bar, whereupon he was appointed
Secretary to the Commissioners of Education for Endowed Schools.
seven years For the next
he held this position and noted the many school endowments that
included a part application to technical education but which were never so applied.
These he later published as Secretary of the Technical Education Association of
Ireland on foot of which these schools were encouraged to introduce science or
techica1 programmes to the curriculum. At this time “technical"
referred especially to science as well as trade and handicraft subjects.
He initiated the Dublin Artizans Exhibition. From Belfast to Cork applications for
space to exhibit came in.
The Exhibition opened on June 24 1885 and attracted an
weekly attendance of over 10,000 for the four months until it closed on
November 8th. It had been a huge success and had “initiated an amalgamated action
among the scattered trades in Dublin”.
Dublin United Trades Council 1886
This led to two direct consequences for both of which Arnold Graves was responsible.
Firstly arising from their experience of the Exhibition the trades bodies formed the
Dublin United Trades Council in 1886 and Arnold Graves was made an honorary
member.
Kevin Street Technical Schools 1887
Secondly through his skilful and persistent organisation Dublin Corporation agreed to
support the foundation of a technical school at Kevin Street which opened in October
1887. He immediately set about firstly ensuring the success of Kevin Street and at the
same time began the task of spreading schools across the whole country.
The passing of the first Technical Instruction Act in 1889 which
was extended to Ireland, gave an impetus to Arnold Graves and he persuaded Pembroke Town
Council to raise a 1d rate in support of a technical school at Ringsend which
opened in October 1893. He was responsible a little later for the technical schools at
Limerick and Galway.
Technical Education Association of Ireland 1893 - 1903
In 1893 also Arnold Graves formed the Technical Education Association of Ireland of
which such diverse persons as Edward Henry Carson Q.C. and the Superior General
of the Christian Brothers were members.
This Association began a campaign for a separate
Irish Government department,
public meeting, and submissions to
govermnent, and through co-operation with Horace Plunkett the Department of
Agriculture and Technical Instructions Act was passed in 1899 establishing a system
of schools under the new local authorities which since 1898 had replaced the Grand
Juries. By 1902 every local authority in the country had adopted the Act and raised a
rate for technical education.
When the Board of Governors of the Kevin Street Schools was replaced by the City of
Dublin Technical Instruction Committee under the D.A.T.I. Act of 1900, having
resigned his position of Secretary to the Board, Arnold
Graves was appointed a
member of the new Committee by special resolution of Dublin Corporation, until
1908. By this time he was 60 years of age.
Arnold’s versatility may be seen from the range of family, educational, spoils, and
literary activities which engaged him. He had kept up his interest in sport from his
student and with Vere Goold, the Irish Lawn Tennis Champion, as partner for two
years became the best tennis set of their day. He was also a regular golfing partner of
Sir Horace Plunkett.
He also became an accomplished writer, first as a co-author with his brothers Charles
and Alfred of two books of satirical verse about politics, “The Blarney Ballads” and
“The Green above the Red”, but both Arnold and Alfred were precluded by the nature
of their jobs, (Arnold as Secretary to the Irish Charity Commissioners and Alfred as
an English School Inspector) from putting their names to political writings.
He was individually the author of six books. Arnold retired in 1918 at the age of 70
years of age but some years before the Lord Lieutenant, Lord Aberdeen, had put
forward his name for a knighthood. 1915 and Lord Wimborne replaced him.
However, the Earl of Aberdeen left office in Lord Wimborne’s private Secretary told
Arnold Graves that Lord Wimborne had given the “go-by” to Lord Aberdeen’s list and
Arnild Graves passed into forgotten history until recent years when the researches of
my colleagues the late Michael Clume, Dr. Aine Hyland, and myself unearthed his
career.
Arnold Graves, on retirement, turned again to writing and in
years, 1925 at the age of 78
and now living in England, had a rare memoir of his personal beliefs and
philosophy, entitled “Healthy, Wealthy and Wise” published by Methuin. Describing
it as “a book about happiness” he reviewed the course of life under three main
headings, Youth, Manhood, and Old Age.
In part III: Old Age he says:
“A whole holiday with nothing in the world to do for the rest of one’s life
is a curse
instead of a blessing to an active minded man, and his one chance of escape from
unutterable boredom and an early death is to have a parergon - something which will
fill the gap in his life, something to take him out of himself, to occupy his thoughts,
and prevent his brain from feeding on itself’.
Arnold Graves died on May 24th 1930 in his 83rd year after a lifetime of service to
education, and in particular technical education. He had gained optimism and
wisdom even if fame eluded him.
Charles Larcom Graves (1856 - 1944)
was a prolific writer and journalist. He was
educateed at Oxford and became assistand editor of the Spectator from 1899 to 1917
He was also one of "Punch’s" merry men from 1902 to 1936, when he retired. His 16
publications include "Mr. Punch’s History of the Great War"(19 19) and a 4 volume
work "Punch’s History of Modern England" 1921 and 1922. He also wrote a
biography of Alexander Macmillan the famous publisher, and books on music. He
has, a contemporary wrote, a long list of books both grave and gay to his credit and he
was also credited with being a brilliant writer of humourous verse. Although he had
left Ireland as a young man many of his family still lived in Dublin and he was a
constant visitor. In 1915 Talbot Press, Dublin, published his book "Humours of Irish
Life" being an anthology of humorous Irish writing, including that of Charles Lever,
Somerville and Ross etc., although not including, for instance George Bernard Shaw.
A reviewer in tudies noted its omissions but concluded "In particular we would
recommend it to those in search of "Readings" for the winter evenings, they will find
therein a store of excellent material for this purpose.
Sir Robert Windham Graves was a diplomat and writer. Born at Parknasilla in 1858
he was educated at Marlborough and became a student interpreter in Constantinople
in 1879 and entered the foreign Levant consular He served in many
capacities in the Levant countries from Egypt to Kurdistan. He was Financial Advisor
and Head of the American Greek section British High Commission in Constantinople
in 1919 and retired on pension in 1922. He acted for the Greek Government in a
number of capacities until 1930. He published "Storm Centres of the Near East -
Personal Memories 1879 - 1929" in 1933, a year before his death and indeed his
experience would be greatly appreciated in today’s political world in this reion.
Ida Graves later wife of Admiral Sir Richard Poore was born in 1859 and wrote a
number of books: "An Admiral’s Wife in the Making",
"Recollections of an Admiral’s Wife", and "Harbour Lights".
In "An Admiral’s Wife in the Making" she recalled her upbringing and early life in
Dublin Castle, Parknasilla, and Limerick where her father became bishop in 1866.
Major Philip Perceval Graves, eldest son of Alfred Perceval and Jane Cooper of
Cooper’s Hill, Limerick was educated at Haileybury and Oxford and became a
Journalist and author. He was the London Times correspondent at Constantinople
1908 - 1914, served in the army 1915-19 in the Middle East and then returned to the
Times until his retirement in 1946. He contributed to the exposure of the "Protocols
of the Elders of Zion" as forgeries. From 1919 he served as Times correspondent,
first in Ireland and knew Collins, Cosgrave and the various Irish leaders and was
closely involved in reporting events in this critical period of recent Irish history. He
later worked for the Times in India, the Levant and the Balkans and finally returned to
The london Offlce. Philp Graves was The author of many scholatly books dealing
mainly with the problems of Europe and the Near East. His most monumental work
was a 21 volume history of the 1939 - 45 war, written volume by volume as the war
progressed. He received the Legion d’Honour (Chevalier) and the Crown of Italy.
His book on Palestine "The Land of Three Faiths" was followed by other publications
including the Edited Memoirs of King Abdullah of Transjordan in 1950, and several
scientific and historical papers.
During his many travels Philip Graves developed a keen interest in entomology,
particularly in regard to lepidoptera. The writer has no knowledge of the whereabouts
of his early collections, but he is know to have collected butterflies in the Near East,
including Palestine, Cyprus, Bulgaria and Egypt, also in England. Contributions from
his pen appeared from time to time in the entomological papers. His other interests
included Celtic antiquities and fishing. He was a member of the Royal Irish
Academy.
It was not until he retired in 1945, to Ballylickey near Bantry, in Co. Cork, that he
was able to give up a great deal of his time to entomology. Here he made a study of
the Irish butterflies, being especially interested in the local sub-species.
He restored Ballylickey House as a hotel and his son George now runs Ballylickey
Manor House Hotel.
Richard Massie Graves C.B.E. (1880 - 1960) was also educated at Haileybury and
Oxford and entered the Levant Consular Service in 1903 and served in Egypt,
Palestine, Tangiers and elsewhere. He was the last Mayor of Jerusalem and held
many high offices.
His publications include "Experiment in Anarchy" also "Singing for Amateurs" and
various translations. At first I thought the titles of his first two books were one,
"Experiment in Anarchy: Singing for Amaieurs" but in fact they are books of quite
disparate subject matters.
Clarissa, b. 1892, became a poet and artist, publishing one volume of
poetry "Seven Days and other Poems" which Robert admired.
Next, to Robert von Ranke, the subject of this morning’s session. I am not qualified
to speak on his writings so I only wish to look at his time in Ireland on three
occasions, first as a soldier in Limerick with his battalion of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers
after the Great War, later in 1928 when he briefly visited a writer colleague in Sligo
and lastly when he returned as a seer to lecture and read his poetry in Dublin and
Cork in 1975.
In January 1919, after the war, Robert travelled to Limerick to join his regiment to
arrange demobilisation. Limerick, he said in a letter to his father, was to him native
air and he heard great stories of his grandfather, the bishop. The city however was
not always in a mood of friendliness as it was a Sinn Fein stronghold and he wrote to
a friend that he was tired of having "mud and stones thrown at my back in O’Connell
Street by my fellow countrymen who mistake me for the brutal invader", though he
added in his autobiography "with little ill will": Yet, he says:
"when I was detailed to take out a search-party in a neighbouring village for
concealed rifles I asked the adjutant to find a substitute; I said that I was an Irishman
and did not wish to be mixed up in Irish politics.
That January I played my last game of rugger: as full-back for the battalion against
Limerick City. We were all crocks and our opponents seemed bent on showing what
fine fighting material England had lost by withholding Home Rule. How jovially they
jumped on me, and rubbed my face in the mud!"
He stayed one night at Cooper’s Hill but woke up with a chill from damp sheets.
With his lungs in their present stated, there was a high risk that influenza would kill
him; and Robert, who had seen enough of the inside of military hospitals, betan
desperately wanting to return to Nancy’s care and protection. When he arrived back
at the barracks he found that all demobilisation was about to be stopped because of
the political troubles; but by a lucky chance his own demobilisation telegram had
finally come through from the War Office, and provided he was on the 6.15 train that
evening, he would be able to leave Ireland just in time. His papers had already been
made out; and all that he needed was the ColOnel’s signature to a statement that he
had handled no company moneys for the last six months; together with the secret
code-marks which could only be supplied by the battalion demobilisation officer.
But then the Adjutant, reckoned by Robert to be ‘hand-in-glove’ with the
demobilisation officer, reminded him of a promise to help with some battalion
theatricals, and made it clear that he would prevent Robert from leaving. In the
circumstances, Robert ‘decided to make a run for its’. Obtaining the code-marks was
clearly impossible; but he managed at the last moment to secure the Colonel’s
signature - something which would be enough to save him from a charge of outright
desertion - and he ‘tumbled into’ the 6.15 train as it was moving out of Limerick
station.
When Robert reached London he managed to commandeer the only available taxi at
Paddington - there was a strike on the underground, and so were in short supply and he very kindly shared it with another officer and his wife. - They were delighted,
and the officer asked Robert whether he could return the favour in any way He certainly could! By an amazing coincidence he turned out to be the Cork District
Demobilisation Officer, and he was bame to complete Robert's papers for him.
In 1928 he briefly visited Geoffrey Phibbs in Sligo in connection with his writing but
forty five years later in 1973 when invited by Constantine Fitzgibbon to accept
election to the Irish Academy of Letters he replied (as quoted in Miranda Seymour’s
biography):
"The things that happen when one reaches the late Seventies!
You could have
knocked me down with a couple of feathers, left and right, when the invitation came
through you for the Irish Honour, which it would be ungracious to decline.
I have not been in Ireland apart from a single day’s punitive visit to Sligo since I went
there disguised as a Captain in the Royal Welch Fusileers in 1918. So please tell
them that I will gladly come next year in the Spring or Summer."
He came in May 1975, first to University College Cork for a poetry reading, and
student seminar on his methods of work which he said were revision and discipline.
His wit and grace earned him a warm reception and the proceedings were filmed by
R.T.E. for a television programme to be shown later. He then travelled to Dublin
where he read and sang a selection of his poems and songs including Father O’Flynn
at the Peacock Theatre, attended by President Cearbhall O'Dalaigh. He told his
audience that he considered himself an Irishman as were his father and grandfather
before him. "I have been away from this country for too long," he said.
Rosaleen, was a poet, musician and medical doctor.
She published a number of collections of poetry, "Nightsounds" and others.
I wish to keep Charles Patrick until last, so I pass now to John harks von Ranke
Graves and his son Richard Perceval Graves. Like Robert, John was educated at
Copthorne, Charterhouse and St. John’s College Oxford and became a teacher.
then worked for the Oxford Education Authority and finally established his own
preparatory school in Berkshire.
His son, Richard Perceval, who now lives in Co. Cork is a professional writer, mainly
of biographies which include a three volume biography of his uncle Robert
Graves, and ones of Lawrence of Arabia, A.E. Housman and others.
He is a noted lecturer and assisted me in the research for this paper.
Charles Patrick Graves (1899 - 1971) was educated at Charterhouse and St. John’s
College. Oxford and became a journalist and writer. He worked on the Sunday
Express, Daily Mail and many other newspapers. He published 46 books in all
including the Thin Blue Line or Adventures in the RAF and listed his hobbies as golf
and gin rummy.
Two of his books are of special interest, his "Ireland Revisited" (1949) and his
autobiography "The Bad Old Days" (1951).
In Ireland Revisited he takes the reader on an informative and humorous tour of
Ireland of which we have only time for a few of his many pictorial inclusions of this
late 1940’s record of Irish Life (in his own words):
- a) The Fairy Glen of Glendalough, with the ancient round tower of St. Kevin
- b) O’Connell Street, with Nelson’s Pillar still standing
- c) Part of the Guinness Navy on the Liffey
- e) Tom Moore’s Tree at the Meeting of the Waters
- f) Hurling at Croke Park, Dublin
- g) Mizen Head’s Grandeur
- h) My father’s home - Parknasilla of the Palm Trees
- i) The Last of the Claddagh
- j) Swan Estuary at Galway
He begins his autobiography:
"Those were the days, the Bad Old Days - primarily of large families, but also of
could look the dollar in the eye without flinching or wincing, when cigarettes were
lid, for 20 and beef was unrationed and champagne was 5s. a bottle"
and he concludes it as follows:
"What is happiness? I did not yet know. But I had already learnt that to have any
chance of success in life one must be able to ‘take it’; that tact can be worth all the
genius in the world; that unless you specialise you will never make more than £800 a
year; that it is madness to disbelieve in luck and the cycles of luck; that you have to
spend money to make money; that you must at all costs keep your youthful
enthusiasms; that the two greatest influences in a man’s life are his mother and his
wife; that marriage will either make you or break you, because it can never leave you
the same".
The motto of the Graves family is "Aquila non captat muscas", "The eagle does not
stoop to capture flies". No, the Graves’ s have conquered the humanitarian arts of
theology and law, medicine and mathematics, poetry and literature. They have been a
great Anglo-irish family who have contributed much to Ireland, and whose sons and
daughters still enjoy and enrich Irish life.
