Saint Patrick's Day and the Constitution of the Irish Free State

Saint Patrick's day is a time for people all over the world to reflect on the culture and history of Ireland and the Irish.

On December 6th in 1921 the Anglo-Irish treaty was signed in London, concluding the Irish War of Independence. You can view the official correspondence of the peace conference on the University College Cork. 

By the 25th of October 1922 the Irish legislative body Dáil Éireann had adopted the Constitution of the Irish Free State. You will note that the publication of the constitution includes both English and Irish translations.

The treaty established Ireland as a free state under a constitutional monarchy. The constitution of 1922 established the Saorstát Éireann or the Irish Free State. The constitution set up a three tiered legislature consisting of the monarch, the Dáil Éireann and the Seanad Éireann. Together this made made up the parliament or the Oireachtas.

The Constitution of the Irish Free State governed the Irish Free State until December of 1937 when it was replaced by referendum and the establishment of the modern Republic of Ireland. 

The Constitution of the Irish Free State was initially intended to be amended by popular referendum. However this provision was delayed for 8 years after the enactment of the document. For the initial 8 years the constitution could be amended by the Oireachtas without referendum. This time period was eventually extended to 16 years and the referendum process never went into effect. For the entire life of the constitution the legislative acts of the Oireachtas were, as a practical matter, supreme.

The State of Oregon Library has a complete collection of all the acts of the Oireachtas during the existence of the Irish Free State. Come and take a look at this interesting piece of Irish legal history.

Lewis

Reference Librarian