IRELAND BETWEEN THE WARS

There can be no question of forcing Ulster into union with the Twenty-Six counties.  I am absolutely against coercion of this kind.  If Ulster is going to join us it must be voluntary.  Union is our final goal, that is all. --  Michael Collins

I.  THE CIVIL WAR & DIVIDED IRELAND

A.  THE SPLIT: INDIVIDUALS.  PRO:  Richard Mulcahy (1886-1971), Provisional Government's military commander during the Civil War; Arthur Griffith (1871-1922).  CON:  Erskine Childers (1870-1922; Cathal Brugha (Charles William St. John Burgess, 1874-1922); Austin Stack (1880-1929); Eamon de Valera; Constance Countess Markievicz; Maude (Gonne) MacBride; Kathleen Clarke; Mary McSwiney (1872-1942).  "[The Treaty is] "the grossest act of betrayal that Ireland ever endured"—Mary McSwiney.

B.  THE SPLIT:  THE I.R.A.  General HQ officers, 9-to-4 pro-Treaty; divisional commanders, evenly split; brigades, 3-to-1 anti-Treaty.

C.  THE CHURCH. 

D.  IRELAND DIVIDED—EAST vs. WEST.  Erhard Rumpf and A. C. Hepburn, Nationalism and Socialism in Twentieth-Century Ireland (Liverpool, 1977).

II.  THE SITUATION OF THE FREE STATE.  Irish Civil War (13 April 1922 to May 1923); 600-700 deaths, great physical damage.

A.  THE POLITICAL SYSTEM.  Pro-Treaty majority: Cumann na nGaedheal ("Family of the Gaels") à Fine Gael ("Clan of the Gaels").  Split in Sinn Féin 1926 à Fianna Fáil ("Soldiers of Destiny").  Murder of Kevin O'Higgins (10 July 1927).  Labour Party.  Political system:  multi-member constiuencies with proportional representation and transferable votes à majority of seats in the House of Commons with only a plurality of the popular vote.  Governments: Cumann na nGaedheal 1923-1932; Fianna Fáil 1932-73 (with two coalition governments).

The major changes in the Irish political system were all introduced by Fianna Fáil governments headed by Eamon de Valera, who resigned as Prime Minister (Taoiseach) in 1959 but then became President of Ireland:  abolition of the Oath of Allegiance (1933); abolition of Governor-General’s office (1936); Constitution of 1937 (new name—Éire); declaration of the Republic (1948).

B.  THE CONSTITUTION OF 1937.  Eire (Ireland) "the national territory consists of the whole island of Ireland, its islands and the territorial seas" but laws temporarily apply only to the 26 counties. (Art. 2).  Government: Ireland is a "sovereign, independent, democratic state"; Gaelic as first language; governed by President, the Dáil Éireann (Cabinet = Prime Minister [Taoiseach] + 7-15 members, and the Senate (Art. 5).  Church: Recognition of the Roman Catholic Church as the church of the majority of the population in the state (abolished by referendum 1972), equal rights to other religious denominations. 

III.  SOCIAL PROBLEMS OF THE IRISH STATE. 

A.  SOCIAL IDEALS & POLICIES.  Model: a nation of small propertied Gaelic-speakers.  Church: anti-capitalist by choice, anti-communist by necessity; cultural isolationism; censorship à alienation of lay intellectuals; no divorce, contraceptives, or legal abortions.

B.  THE ECONOMY.  Basic:  mixed public and private enterprise; lack of capital; neutrality in international affairs.  The economic war (1932-38).

CONCLUSION—W. W. II & IRISH NEUTRALITY.  Supported by all parties 1939; emergency powers.