 While he regularly condemned the actions of the British forces in Ireland and the excesses of the IRA during the Irish War of Independence, he supported the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921.However, he also opposed partition and was specially mindful of the nationalist people of his diocese who were cut off from the new Irish Free State.As a Bishop he was very popular among his priests and people and his clerical changes of priests between parishes became known as promotions rather than transfers.