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The Pact General Election of 1922

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2016

Michael Gallagher
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Extract

The general election of 1922 was the first election to be held in the independent Irish state, the first held under the PR electoral system, and the first to be contested by the parties which, in modified forms, were to dominate subsequent Irish politics. The 1918 election, at which Sinn Féin had routed the Irish parliamentary party, had been the last of the old order. The 1922 election was the first of the new order — the two wings of Sinn Féin were challenged by Labour and other interests, as was to be the pattern for the next fifty years at least. In that light, this paper represents an attempt to start the scarcely-begun task of closely analysing modern Irish elections. Furthermore, the 1922 election merits attention because of the unusual circumstances under which it was held, foremost among which was the ‘pact’ between Michael Collins and Eamon de Valera.

Type
Research Article
Information
Irish Historical Studies , Volume 21 , Issue 84 , September 1979 , pp. 404 - 421
Copyright
Copyright © Irish Historical Studies Publications Ltd 1979

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References

1 The earl of Longford, and O’Neill, T. P., Eamon de l’alera (Dublin, 1970), p. 184.Google Scholar

2 Dáil Eireann rep. 1921-2, p. 434, 17 May. See also his speech at ibid., p. 345, 28 April, and those of Mary MacSwiney, ibid., p. 337, 28 April, and David Ceannt, ibid., p. 361, 3 May.

3 Ibid., p. 463, 19 May. See also Kevin O’Higgins’s speech, ibid., p. 464, 19 May.

4 Cf. Fanning, Ronan, ‘Leadership and transition from the politics of revolution to the politics of party: the example of Ireland 1914—1939’, in Reports - 14th International Congress of Historical Sciences, (New York, 1977), iii, 1751.Google Scholar

5 Dáil Eireann rep. 1921-2, p. 433, 17 May.

6 For these, see ibid., pp 357—65, 410—15; O’Donoghue, Florence, No other law (Dublin, 1954), p. 237 Google Scholar; Desmond Greaves, C., Liam Mellows and the Irish revolution (London, 1971), p. 315.Google Scholar

7 For the full text see Dáil Eireann rep. 1921-2, p. 479.

8 Nationalist (Clonmel), 7 June, p. 3.

9 Breen, Dan, My fight for Irish freedom (Tralee, 1964), pp 167—8Google Scholar

10 Northern Standard, 13 January, p. 3.

11 Ibid., 9 June, p. 5.

12 Mitchell, Arthur, Labour in Irish politics 1890-1930 (Dublin, 1974), p. 156.Google Scholar

13 Irish Times, 26 May, p. 5.

14 Ibid., 7 June, p. 5.

15 Ibid.

16 Irish Independent, 31 May, p. 5.

17 Clare Champion, 17 June, p. 3.

18 See Irish Times, 7 June, p. 5, and, for scepticism and Sinn Féin denials of involvement, Irish Independent, 8 June, p. 5, Western People, 10 June, p. 5 and Connaught Telegraph, 10 June, p. 3.

l9 Irish Independent, 30 May, p. 5. The chairman of the meeting maintained that he had immediately repudiated this attitude because it conflicted with the spirit of the pact, but his disclaimer was published only locally. See the Nationalist (Clonmel), 7 June, p. 3.

20 My fight for Irish freedom, p. 168.

2l Ibid.

22 Nationalist (Clonmel), 10 June, p. 5.

23 See the account in Clare Champion, 10 June, p. 1; see also William O’Brien; Forth the banners go (Dublin, 1969), pp 220—1.

24 Cork Examiner, 5 June, p. 2 and 7 June, p. 6.

25 Irish Times, 26 May, p. 5. For the party’s manifesto see Freeman’s Journal,

27 May, p. 7.

26 For Labour’s manifesto see Freeman’s Journal, 23 May, p. 2.

27 E.g. Cork Examiner, 5 June, p. 6.

28 Irish Independent, 6 June, p. 5.

29 See, for example, tliespeechofEamon.de Yalera, Irish Tunes, 14 June, p. 6.

30 Freeman’s Journal, 15 June, p. 6.

31 Seamus Fitzgerald, in Cork Examiner, 12 June, p. ft.

32 Sean Etchingham, in Freeman’s Journal, 14 June, p. o”.

33 Kilkenny Journal, 17 June, p. 3.

34 Ir. republic, p. 717; Irish Times, 13 June, p. 5.

35 Sligo Champion, 10 June, p. 4.

36 Ibid., 24 June. p. 5.

37 Freeman’s Journal, 10 June, p. 6.

38 Northern Standard, 16 June, p. 5. The pro-treaty candidates in Griffith’s constituency of Cavan also campaigned strongly on the merits of the treaty, but here there were no anti-treaty candidates.

39 E.g. Freeman’s Journal, 13 June, p. 2.

40 See Irish Independent, 15 June, p. 7.

41 Macardle, , Ir. republic, p. 721.Google Scholar Very many other writers interpret the speech similarly, e.g. Greaves, , Liam Mellows, p. 336 Google Scholar; Lyons, F. S. L., Ireland since the famine (London, 1971), p. 456 Google Scholar; Neeson, Eoin, Civil war in Ireland (Cork, 1969), p. 106 Google Scholar; O’Donoghue, , \o other law, p. 244 Google Scholar; Younger, Calton, Ireland’s civil war (London, 1968), p. 303 Google Scholar; Longford, and O’Neill, , Kamon de Valera, p. 189.Google Scholar

42 Ir. republic, p. 721.

43 See issues of 15 June.

44 Freeman’s Journal, 16 June, p. 4.

45 If Dan Breen’s votes were taken as anti-treaty, the anti-treaty vote* would exceed Labour’s.

46 Dundalk Democrat, 17 June, p. 4.

47 See ibid, and Freeman’s Journal, 14 June, p. 5.

48 Ir. republic, p. 723.

49 Liam Mellous, p. 336. The votes were from the National University constituency, in which the count had been completed before the boxes were taken.

50 Ir. republic, p. 727. Cf. Greaves, , Liam Mellows, p.336.Google Scholar