5 February 1922: Cumann na mBan Opposes 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 Marie Coleman and it covers Cumann na mBan's rejection of the Treaty, which happened on 5 February 1922:

On Sunday, 5 February 1922, Cumann na mBan held a special convention in the Round Room of Dublin’s Mansion House to discuss the Anglo-Irish Treaty. A majority of those present (419 of 482, or 87 per cent) voted in favour of the motion by Mary MacSwiney (Sinn Féin TD for Cork Borough in the second Dáil) to reaffirm allegiance to the Irish Republic and reject the Treaty. Jenny Wyse Power’s counter-proposal that the organisation remain neutral was defeated. Thus, Cumann na mBan became the first republican organisation to reject the Treaty. 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.