7 January 1922: The Ratification of the Anglo-Irish Treaty

Ireland 1922, edited by Darragh Gannon and Fearghal McGarry, features 50 essays from leading international scholars that explore a turning point in history, one whose legacy remains controversial a century on. Building on their own expertise, and on the wealth of recent scholarship provoked by the Decade of Centenaries, each contributor focuses on one event that illuminates a key aspect of revolutionary Ireland, demonstrating how the events of this year would shape the new states established in 1922. Together, these essays explore many of the key issues and debates of a year that transformed Ireland.

In collaboration with Century Ireland, we are making the 50 essays freely available online. Today's essay is by Richard Bourke and it covers the ratification of the Anglo-Irish Treaty that took place on 7 January 1922:

"The ‘Articles of Agreement for a Treaty between Great Britain and Ireland’ were signed at Downing Street on 6 December 1921 by the British delegation along with five Irish representatives enjoying plenipotentiary status.¹ Before ratification, the terms of the treaty were debated in sessions of the second Dáil convened at Earlsfort Terrace in Dublin over fifteen days between 14 December 1921 and 7 January 1922. In the end, approval of the agreement passed by a margin of seven votes, though civil war rather than national concord ensued..." Continue reading (you will be redirected to the website of Century Ireland)

Ireland 1922, edited by Darragh Gannon and Fearghal McGarry, is published by the Royal Irish Academy with support from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media under the Decade of Centenaries 2012-2023 programme.