Irish Free State

The Irish Free State existed from December 1922 until December 1937. It was created after the Anglo-Irish Treaty in 1921, which ended the fighting between Irish forces and British troops during the Irish War of Independence. At first, it was a part of the British Commonwealth and covered 26 of the 32 counties of Ireland. The remaining six counties formed Northern Ireland, which chose not to join the new state.

The government was led by a president of the Executive Council, with W. T. Cosgrave as its first leader. The legislature was called the Oireachtas and included two houses. One important requirement for members was taking an oath of allegiance, which caused disagreement among Irish leaders. In 1931, the Irish Free State gained more independence when the British Parliament passed a law giving it control over its own laws.

During its early years, there was a conflict called the Irish Civil War between those who supported the new state and those who did not. After this conflict ended, new political groups formed, including Fianna Fáil. In 1937, a new constitution was created, and the Irish Free State became simply "Ireland."

Background

The Easter Rising of 1916 changed many people's views in Ireland. In the 1918 general election, the Sinn Féin party won most seats but instead of going to London, they created their own group called Dáil Éireann. They declared Ireland independent and began a fight called the War of Independence against British forces. This fighting stopped in July 1921, and talks began in London.

These talks led to the Anglo-Irish Treaty on December 6, 1921. The treaty created a new state called the Irish Free State, similar to Canada at the time. The people of Northern Ireland could choose not to join this new state. Leaders of the Irish Free State had to promise to support both the new government and the king of Britain.

The Irish Free State officially began on December 6, 1922. Sadly, during this time, there were conflicts among Irish leaders about the treaty.

Governmental and constitutional structures

The Anglo-Irish Treaty created a new state that was a constitutional monarchy. The Governor-General of the Irish Free State acted as the representative of the king. The state's system of government was detailed in the Constitution of the Irish Free State. It had a three-part parliament called the Oireachtas, which included the king and two houses: Dáil Éireann and the Seanad Éireann, or Irish Senate.

The king held executive power, with the Governor-General acting on his behalf. The Governor-General chose a group of leaders called the Executive Council to help him. A leader known as the President of the Executive Council guided this group. In practice, the Executive Council held most of the actual power, as the Governor-General usually followed their advice.

Representative of the Crown

Main article: Governor-General of the Irish Free State

The role of Governor-General replaced the older position of Lord Lieutenant. Governors-General were chosen by the king, but at first needed advice from the British Government and approval from the Irish Government. Starting in 1927, only the Irish Government could suggest who should be appointed.

Oath of Allegiance

People in the Irish Free State had to take an Oath of Allegiance. This oath had two parts. The first part was a promise to support the Irish Free State. The second part was a promise of loyalty to King George V and his successors, but only in their role related to Ireland and the Treaty, not as rulers of the United Kingdom before 1922. This oath was created during the Treaty talks and was a mix of ideas from different sources. Some people were upset about any mention of the Crown, feeling it still showed loyalty to the British head of state, even though the wording was indirect. This oath was important during the Irish Civil War between those who supported and those who opposed the Treaty.

Irish Civil War

Main article: Irish Civil War

The agreement that created the Irish Free State led to a civil war from June 1922 to April 1923. The government that supported the agreement fought against those who did not. Éamon de Valera, who had been a leader, stepped down and this upset some of his followers. Arthur Griffith became the new leader, and Michael Collins was chosen to help run the new government. A big vote showed that most people supported the agreement. Sadly, during this time, some violent events happened, including the killing of Seán Hales and the execution of several imprisoned leaders.

"Freedom to achieve freedom"

Michael Collins called the treaty "the freedom to achieve freedom." It gave Ireland many powers of independence, including its own parliament, leaders, and laws. However, some rules from Britain stayed in place.

The Irish Free State used the British pound at first but later made its own coins and money. These new coins had the words "Saorstát Éireann" on them. Even with these changes, the country was still linked to Britain in some ways until it became fully independent.

Foreign policy

Ireland joined the League of Nations on 10 September 1923. The country also took part in the Olympics, sending its first team to the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris. Later teams went to the 1928 Summer Olympics and the 1932 Summer Olympics.

By 1932, Ireland had made big steps toward having its own independent foreign policy. The Irish Free State became an important part of the European system and a member of the League of Nations. It set up full diplomatic ties with many countries, including the United States, France, Belgium, Germany, and the Holy See. Ireland made its own political and trade agreements and used international relations to protect its interests. The military, however, became much smaller, with its budget and the number of active duty forces greatly reduced during this time.

Demographics

Birth rate

In 1924, just after the Irish Free State was created, it had one of the lowest birth rates in the world. Among many countries, the Irish Free State had a birth rate of 18.6 per 1,000 people, while places like Ceylon had much higher rates.

Cultural outlook

During this time, Irish society was very influenced by the Roman Catholic Church. Some Roman Catholic thinkers shared strong views against certain ideas and groups, linking them to negative influences in society. These views were expressed through the work of priests, but they included perspectives that are now recognized as unfair or incorrect.

After the Free State

1937 Constitution

In 1937, the Fianna Fáil government created a new Constitution for Ireland. It was approved by the people in a vote on July 1, 1937, the same day as an election. This Constitution replaced the older one from 1922 and came into effect on December 29, 1937.

The new Constitution named the country simply "Ireland" and introduced the role of the President of Ireland, replacing the old position of Governor-General. It described Ireland as a single country but said that its laws would not apply in Northern Ireland. Later, in 1998, the Constitution was changed to say that a united Ireland should only happen peacefully and with the agreement of most people in both parts of the island.

The Constitution also talked about religion, recognizing the special place of the Catholic Church and other churches in Ireland. This part was changed in 1973. The new Constitution aimed to make the government feel more Irish by using ideas from the Catholic Church, like having special groups help choose senators.