1923

Free State’s status

Apart from the enhanced prestige accruing to the Free State from the international recognition of its status by its admission to the League of Nations, the proceedings at Geneva were important from at least one very practical standpoint.

The Irish Free State was admitted to the League of Nations as a member of the British Commonwealth of Nations of co-equal status, a status which was conferred on it by the Treaty of December 6, 1921.

That instrument is, therefore, the basis not only to the Free State’s position in relation to the Commonwealth but of its position in relation to the League of Nations.

The Treaty as a whole and in all its parts has received formal international recognition. Before its admission was agreed upon, the Free State was required to pass certain very rigid tests. The sub-committee dealing with the Free State’s application was required to return definite answers to queries relating to the country’s political position and status.

One of those queries was whether the Free State possesses a stable Government and well-defined frontiers. To this query the sub-committee replied in the affirmative, but added the following explanatory clause: “The sub-committee has been informed that provision for a final delimitation of a part of the boundary has been made in the Treaty dated 6th December, 1921, embodied in the fundamental law constituting the Irish Free State.”

Pictured: Shop Street filled with cars in September 1995, before its pedestrianisation in 1998.