Ireland: Polity Style: 1919-2024 - Archontology
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Ireland: Polity Style: 1919-2024

1 Jan 1801 the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland are united in accordance with the acts passed by the Parliament of Great Britain and the Parliament of Ireland (Great Britain: passed by the House of Commons on 24 Jun 1800, House of Lords on 30 Jun 1800; received royal assent on 2 Jul 1800, commencement on 1 Jan 1801; Ireland: passed by the House of Commons on 7 Jun 1800, House of Lords on 13 Jun 1800; received royal assent on 1 Aug 1800, commencement on 1 Jan 1801) (Pickering's Statutes at Large, vol. 42, part II, pp. 648-679; Ireland Statutes at Large, vol. 20, pp. 448-487) [1]
21 Jan 1919 the establishment of the Irish Republic is proclaimed in accordance with the Declaration of Independence adopted by Dáil Éireann on 21 Jan 1919 (Dáil Éireann Proceedings 1919-1921, pp.14-17)
21 Jan 1919 - 6 Dec 1922 Saorstát Éireann = Irish Republic [2][3]
14 Jan 1922 the establishment of the Irish Free State is agreed in accordance with a treaty signed by the plenipotentiaries of Ireland and Great Britain in London on 6 Dec 1921, approved by the Parliament of the United Kingdom (House of Commons on 16 Dec 1921, House of Lords on 16 Dec 1921) and by a meeting of the members elected to sit in the House of Commons of Southern Ireland on 14 Jan 1922 (Constitution and Public General Acts (Irish Free State), pp. 44-49; Public General Acts, 1922, pp. 6-10; The Irish Times, No. 20,210, 16 Jan 1922, p. 5) [4][5]
31 Mar 1922 the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty between Great Britain and Ireland are given the force of law in accordance with an act passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom (House of Commons on 8 Mar 1922, House of Lords on 27 Mar 1922 with amendments, the amendments were agreed to by the House of Commons on 31 Mar 1922, received royal assent on 31 Mar 1922) (Public General Acts, 1922, pp. 4-12) [6]
6 Dec 1922 the Constitution of the Irish Free State is adopted by Dáil Éireann sitting as a Constituent Assembly on 25 Oct 1922, approved by an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (House of Commons on 29 Nov 1922, House of Lords on 4 Dec 1922, received royal assent on 5 Dec 1922) and came into operation in accordance with a royal proclamation of 6 Dec 1922 issued pursuant to the cited act (Dáil Debates, vol. 1, cols. 1906-1947; Constitution and Public General Acts (Irish Free State), pp. 1-49; Public General Acts, 1922, pp. 635-677; Ireland State Gazette, Extra, No. 94, 6 Dec 1922, pp. 763-764; The London Gazette, No. 32775, 8 Dec 1922, pp. 8689-8690) [7]
6 Dec 1922 - 28 Dec 1937 Saorstát Éireann = Irish Free State
29 Dec 1937 the Constitution of Ireland (Bunreacht na hÉireann) is approved by Dáil Éireann on 14 Jun 1937 and by the voting at a plebiscite on 1 Jul 1937, the results of the plebiscite are certified by the Plebiscite Returning Officer on 12 Jul 1937, comes into operation on the 180th day (29 Dec 1937) after its approval by the people as required by Art. 62 of the Constitution (Ireland State Gazette, No. 57, 16 Jul 1937, p. 1250)
29 Dec 1937 - Éire = Ireland [8]
18 Apr 1949 Poblacht na hÉireann / Republic of Ireland is declared to be the official description of the state in accordance with an act passed by the Oireachtas (Dáil Éireann on 2 Dec 1948, Seanad Éireann on 15 Dec 1948, signed into law on 21 Dec 1948), came into operation on the date (18 Apr 1949) specified in The Republic of Ireland Act, 1948 (Commencement) Order, 1949, issued by the Government on 4 Feb 1949 (Acts of the Oireachtas, 1948, pp. 426-427; Statutory Instruments, vol. 1, 1949, No. 27/1949) [9]
  1. Full title (England): An Act for an Union of the Two Kingdoms of England and Scotland; (Scotland): Act Ratifying and Approving the Treaty of Union of the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England.
  2. Also in official use: Saorstát na hÉireann.
  3. Between 14 Jan 1922 and 6 Dec 1922 the transitional authorities established pursuant to the Treaty of 1921 used Éire = Ireland (and sometimes Southern Ireland) as reference to the polity.
  4. The treaty was also approved by Dáil Éireann (7 Jan 1922), although it was not required by the terms of the treaty.
  5. Full title: Articles of Agreement for a Treaty Between Great Britain and Ireland.
  6. Full title: An Act to give the force of Law to certain Articles of Agreement for a Treaty between Great Britain and Ireland, and to enable effect to be given thereto, and for other purposes incidental thereto or consequential thereon (may be cited as the Irish Free State (Agreement) Act, 1922).
  7. Full title: An Act to provide for the Constitution of the Irish Free State (may be cited as the Irish Free State Constitution Act, 1922 (Session 2)).
  8. From 18 Apr 1949 Poblacht na hÉireann = Republic of Ireland is the official description of the State (not polity style) in accordance with The Republic of Ireland Act, 1948, which became effective 18 Apr 1949 as required by The Republic of Ireland Act, 1948 (Commencement) Order, 1949.
  9. Full title (Irish): Acht d'athghairm an Achta Údaráis Fheidhmiúcháin (Caidreamh Coigríche), 1936, dá dhearbhu gur Poblacht na hÉireann is gnéthuairisc ar an Stát, agus dá chumasú don Uachtarán cumhacht chomhallach nó aon fheidhm d'fheadhma comhallacha an stáit maidir lena chaidreamh eachtrach d'oibriú (may be cited as Acht Phoblacht na hÉireann, 1948); (English): An Act to repeal the Executive Authority (External Relations) Act, 1936, to declare that the description of the State shall be the Republic of Ireland, and to enable the President to exercise the executive power or any executive function of the state in or in connection with its external relations (may he cited as The Republic of Ireland Act, 1948).