Introduction

The year 1922 was meant to be the calm after the storm. The Articles of Agreement for a Treaty between British and Irish delegates signed in December 1921 provoked some visceral protest, but the possibility existed that a constitutional formula could yet be found that would allow all sides to take part in the new State. It was in this context that the drafting of the Irish Free State Constitution began. For such a historic moment in Irish legal history, it may be surprising that there has been relatively little scholarly consideration of the Constitution, particularly from a legal perspective. This book is an attempt to remedy that and in this chapter we briefly outline the various contributions, focused on different aspects of the document, contained in the book.