Opposition to the Constitution of the Irish Free State in 1922

This chapter provides a snapshot of the opposition to the Free State Constitution in the year 1922 before opinions were influenced by the course of subsequent events and the benefit of hindsight. It outlines why some Irish people felt that they could not support the new Constitution and how they expressed their opposition to it. The most obvious group that opposed the 1922 Constitution were those that had also opposed the Anglo-Irish Treaty signed in 1921. This chapter will examine the legal arguments used by this group to challenge the validity of the 1922 Constitution. It will also examine unionist objections and the position of those who felt that they could support the Treaty but had serious reservations concerning the Constitution. The overall objective of this analysis is to provide a better understanding of the circumstances in which the 1922 Constitution came into force.