Constituting a Polity

The creation of a new state and construction of a new constitution is often a very divisive moment in a state’s history. The creation of the Irish Free State and the drafting of the 1922 Constitution is no different; it was a very turbulent period of Irish history with many parts of the population refusing to accept the new status quo. Many others were also disappointed that the status which had been achieved was less than what had been desired but pragmatically felt that it would be better to work within the new polity to try to achieve more. The 1922 Irish Free State Constitution is therefore understandably always viewed within the context of that division. The over-riding attitude surrounding the 1922 Constitution has primarily been negative. However, on the 100th anniversary of the document it is only right to ask whether that portrayal of the Constitution is a fair and accurate one. This chapter argues that scholarship on the Constitution should look beyond the ‘failure’ and the controversial elements to discover the true impact and lasting legacies of the document.