ONLINE-Eire/Republic of Ireland 1937-1972

Four Wednesdays, beginning May 13 from 7:15-8:15pm
Tickets: $80.00 Non-Member/$75.00 Member
This class meets online on Zoom.
Your class confirmation email will contain the Zoom class link.

Article 4 of the Irish constitution adopted in 1937 by the government under Éamon de Valera states that Éire is the name of the state, or in the English language, Ireland. Some Irish wit named the state “DevelEire”.

The constitution contained articles 2 and 3 which were a territorial claim on Northern Ireland. These articles were removed in 1998 as part of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement.

The 1937 Constitution enshrined a special position for the Catholic Church. It also removed many progressive gains that women had achieved in the previous twenty five years. It failed to remove the English King as head of state. This took until 1948 to be dealt with.

Ireland remained neutral during World War 11. The DeValera Government interned and executed members of the IRA during the war. In 1948 after 16 years in government the country voted for change. The opposition parties came together to form a coalition government.

In 1949 – Eire become the ” Republic of Ireland”. The 1950’s are remembered as “The Lost Decade” due toemigration, unemployment and recessions. In 1956 the IRA started its six year “Border” Campaign. By the 1960’s the Irish economy abandoned protectionist policies and began to attract foreign investment. The 1960’s were a boom decade. As violence erupted in Northern Ireland at the end of the ’60’s thousands of refugees poured into the Republic. The “Arms Crisis” in 1970 was the result of efforts by some members of the government to support the IRA. In 1972 the British army murdered 14 people in Derry.