1922 – A new state is bornIrish Free State – 26 Southern (mostly Catholic) counties

Northern Ireland – 6 Northern (mostly Protestant) counties

At one point Northern Ireland was to have all nine counties of Ulster but it was decided that six would be easier to control

New Free State money –replaces Pound Sterling

Cumann na nGaedheal – main party of the Irish Free State

New Political Party, formed from “Pro-Treaty” Sinn Fein TDs

Main Aims: Accept treaty, move on and develop 26 counties

Early leaders – Michael Collins, Arthur Griffith (both died in 1922)

New Leaders were William Cosgrave and Kevin O’Higgins

Hated by the anti-treaty IRA – O’Higgins was murdered by IRA in 1927

Helped set up new 26 County State – called the “Irish Free State”

Cumann na nGaedheal was a party promoting “Law and Order”

Felt that IRA “gunmen” were no longer needed in Ireland

Cumann na nGaedheal leaders

Cumann na nGaedheal leadersCosgrave

O’Higgins

Challenges facing the Irish Free State

Challenges facing the Irish Free State

Challenges

The New GovernmentArmy Mutiny

Economic Challenges

Taxes kept down but then little money for schools, hospitals etc

Lack of coal led to development of Ardnacrusha Hydroelectric Power station

Electricity Supply Board (ESB) established

Joined League of Nations to show independence

Worked with other members of the British Commonwealth to gain more freedom – British eventually passed Statute of Westminster and allowed Commonwealth countries more freedom

Ardnacrusha Power Station

Challenges to the New Government

Boundary Commission

Many people hoped for the Treaty to give land to Irish Free State from Northern Ireland

Commission was set up to decide on border but it’s report was never implemented because nobody liked its ideas

Fianna Fail

Eamon De Valera set up Fianna Fail – most anti treaty members of Sinn Fein joined it

Entered the Dail in 1927 after DeValera decided to take the Oath to the King

Foreign Affairs

Main Goals of the Free State Government

2011 Higher Junior Cert Exam

Fianna Fail

Leader, 1927 Leader, 2014

Fianna Fail and the 1932 ElectionBy the time 1932 came around people were fed up with the country being so poor

De Valera promised to create jobs if elected to Government and eventually won the 1932 election

Many Fianna Fail TDs carried guns into the Dail after the 1932 election in case Cosgrave (Cumann na nGaedhael) refused to hand over power

In the end Cosgrave handed over power peacefully and FiannaFail took over leading the country

What is the main promise that Fianna Fail is making here?

How was that different from Cumann na nGaedheal’s election promises?

Fianna Fail elected in 1932

2005 Junior Cert (Higher)

Quick Quiz – True or FalseThe leaders of the Anti-treaty side of Sinn Fein formed Cumann na nGaedheal

William T. Cosgrave was the leader of Fianna Fail

Ireland’s first Hydroelectric scheme was built on the River Lee

Eamon DeValera established Fianna Fail in the 1920s

Kevin O’Higgins was murdered by the IRA in 1927

The Boundary Commission was set up to decide on the boundary between France and Germany after WW1

Fianna Fail were the winners of the 1932 election

Fianna Fail in Government 1932-39

Sean Lemass – De Valera’s “right hand man”

DeValera in powerIRA banned after refusing to give up violence

Offences against the State act passed in 1939 – allowed DeValera to imprison people without trial (internment)

Began to change the Treaty – incl the Oath

Took a step by step approach to getting rid of the links to Britain – same idea Michael Collins had

Insulted the King’s Representative in Ireland (Governor General) and forced him to resign

Governor General’s House – who lives there today?

The Economic War

Fianna Fail and the Economy De Valera wanted to develop the economy and placed tariffs (special taxes) on British goods

Also stopped paying land annuities to Britain (payments on loans given by Britain to Ireland in the 1900s)

This annoyed the British and they reacted by putting tariffs on Irish products – this was known as the Economic War

Caused great hardship in Ireland

Sean Lemass was a Fianna Fail minister who worked hard to develop the economy in the 1930s

2010 Higher Paper

Bunreacht na hEireann – a new Constitution

The Status of Women in the new constitution

“1° [...] the State recognises that by her life within the home, woman gives to the State a support without which the common good cannot be achieved.

2° The State shall, therefore, endeavour to ensure that mothers shall not be obliged by economic necessity to engage in labour to the neglect of their duties in the home.

The Blueshirts

The BlueshirtsIn the 1920s those in the IRA who were opposed to the treaty often disrupted Cumann na nGaedheal meetings

The Blueshirts (also known as the Army Comrades Association) were set up to protect CnaG people at these meetings

Eoin O’Duffy was leader

What type of leader did the Blueshirts admire?

Eoin O’Duffy

DeValera bans the BlueshirtsDeValera felt that the Blueshirts were becoming a threat to his Government and banned them

In response, Cosgrave and O’Duffy formed a new party to oppose DeValera – this new party was known as Fine Gael

O’Duffy became leader but resigned after just one year

Shannon Airport – Major FiannaFail achievement

Who are these people at Shannon Airport?

End of the Economic War – peace with Britain

In 1938 World War 2 was on the horizon

Britain wanted to have Ireland’s support in the war

Agreement was quickly reached between DeValera and Chamberlain (British Prime Minister)

Ireland got it’s three “treaty ports” back – this allowed it to be neutral in World War 2

Had to pay £10 Million to Britain for land annuities

Tariffs reduced – helping the economy on both sides