61-650: The Belfast Banking Company was a bank in Northern Ireland. It was established in 1827 by a merger of Batt's (also known as The Belfast Bank) and Tennant's (The Commercial Bank). The Belfast Banking Company operated primarily in Ulster and sold its branches in other provinces following the formation of the Irish Free State . It was acquired by the London City and Midland Bank in 1917 and in 1970
122-460: A birth rate of just 18.6 per 1,000. Irish society during this period was extremely Roman Catholic, with Roman Catholic thinkers promoting anti-capitalist, anti-communist, anti-Protestant, anti-Masonic, and antisemitic views in Irish society. Through the works of priests such as Edward Cahill , Richard Devane, and Denis Fahey , Irish society saw capitalism, individualism, communism, private banking,
183-694: A combination of three sources, and was largely the work of Michael Collins in the Treaty negotiations. It came in part from a draft oath suggested prior to the negotiations by President de Valera. Other sections were taken by Collins directly from the Oath of the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB), of which he was the secret head. In its structure, it was also partially based on the form and structure used for 'Dominion status'. Although 'a new departure', and notably indirect in its reference to
244-620: A majority in Dáil Éireann," the president, along with his cabinet, was obliged to resign, but could continue to serve as acting president until the appointment of a successor. The method of appointment of the president of the Executive Council was through a commission of the monarch or governor-general, either the leader of the party with a majority of seats in the lower house of parliament or, if no party commanded an absolute majority, whichever leader he believed would be best able to avoid
305-595: A memorial window at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast. In the year following Irish independence in 1922 the 20 Belfast Banking Company branches in the newly established Irish Free State were sold to the Royal Bank of Ireland . By the 1920s the bank had permission to issue banknotes in Northern Ireland . In 1927 staff raised £500 to name, in perpetuity, a bed at the Royal Victoria Hospital after
366-590: A new office of President of Ireland was instituted in place of the Governor-General of the Irish Free State. The new constitution claimed jurisdiction over all of Ireland while recognising that legislation would not apply in Northern Ireland (see Articles 2 and 3 ). Articles 2 and 3 were reworded in 1998 to remove jurisdictional claim over the entire island and to recognise that "a united Ireland shall be brought about only by peaceful means with
427-735: A similar manner to the Northern Banking Company but focussed almost exclusively on Ulster . The bank did not establish a branch in Dublin until 1892. It did have a New York branch in the 1860s. In 1917 the Belfast Banking Company was sold to the London City and Midland Bank . Seventeen bank staff were killed while serving with the British armed forces in the First World War and are commemorated in
488-431: A vote of no confidence. The office of the president of the Executive Council was less powerful than either its modern equivalent, the office of taoiseach , or the offices of most modern prime ministers in nations that follow the parliamentary system of government. In particular, the powers of the president were subject to two important limitations: The result of these restrictions was, according to Brian Farrell , that
549-521: Is the model of the reconstituted Seanad Éireann (the Senate), which operates based on a system of vocational panels, along with a list of appointed nominating industry bodies, a corporatist concept (seen in Pope Pius XI's 1931 encyclical Quadragesimo anno ). Furthermore, Ireland's main political parties; Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and Labour, all had an inherently corporatist outlook. The government
610-678: The 1932 general election ), the Seanad , university representation in the Dáil, and appeals to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council . One major policy error occurred in 1936 when he attempted to use the abdication of King Edward VIII to abolish the crown and governor-general in the Free State with the " Constitution (Amendment No. 27) Act ". He was advised by senior law officers and other constitutional experts that, as
671-551: The British prime minister's powers had been theoretically quite limited and, as a member of the cabinet, the office-holder was regarded strictly as primus inter pares . Under Prime Minister David Lloyd George , however, from 1918 onwards, the powers of the office increased, as Lloyd George unilaterally arrogated to himself a number of powers that had previously belonged to the Cabinet collectively, including, most significantly,
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#1732776665119732-653: The Oireachtas , made up of the king and two houses, Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann (the Irish Senate). Executive authority was vested in the king, with the Governor-General as his representative. He appointed a cabinet called the Executive Council to "aid and advise" him. The Executive Council was presided over by a prime minister called the President of the Executive Council . In practice, most of
793-644: The Pound sterling from its inception; there is no reference in the Treaty or in either of the enabling Acts to currency. Nonetheless, and within a few years, the Dáil passed the Coinage Act, 1926 (which provided for a Saorstát [Free State] coinage) and the Currency Act, 1927 (which provided inter alia for banknotes of the Saorstát pound ). The new Saorstát pound was defined by the 1927 Act to have exactly
854-729: The Presbyterian Church in Ireland , the Methodist Church in Ireland , the Religious Society of Friends in Ireland , as well as the Jewish Congregations and the other religious denominations existing in Ireland at the date of the coming into operation of this Constitution. Following a referendum, this section was removed in 1973. After the setting up of the Free State in 1923, unionism in
915-611: The " Irish pound " and the coins were marked Éire . Ireland joined the League of Nations on 10 September 1923. It would also participate in the Olympics sending its first team to the 1924 Summer Olympics held in Paris. They would send further teams to the 1928 Summer Olympics and the 1932 Summer Olympics . According to Gerard Keown, by 1932 much had been achieved in the quest for an independent foreign policy. The Irish Free State
976-537: The British Government, but with the consent of the Irish Government. From 1927, the Irish Government alone had the power to advise the king whom to appoint. As with all dominions, provision was made for an Oath of Allegiance. Within dominions, such oaths were taken by parliamentarians personally towards the monarch. The Irish Oath of Allegiance was fundamentally different. It had two elements;
1037-729: The British Parliament that may have enacted the original legislation in the past. It also removed Westminster's authority to legislate for the Dominions, except with the express request and consent of the relevant Dominion's parliament. This change had the effect of making the dominions, including the Free State, de jure independent nations—thus fulfilling Collins' vision of having "the freedom to achieve freedom". The Free State symbolically marked these changes in two mould-breaking moves soon after winning internationally recognised independence: When Éamon de Valera became President of
1098-478: The British government and members of the Dáil, culminating in the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty on 6 December 1921. The Treaty allowed for the creation of a separate state to be known as the Irish Free State, with dominion status, within the then British Empire—a status equivalent to Canada. The Parliament of Northern Ireland could, by presenting an address to the king, opt not to be included in
1159-581: The Dáil from 1922 to 1927 and thereafter ruled as a minority government until 1932. In 1931, with the passage of the Statute of Westminster , the Parliament of the United Kingdom relinquished nearly all of its remaining authority to legislate for the Free State and the other dominions. This had the effect of granting the Free State internationally recognised independence. In the first months of
1220-436: The Executive Council (prime minister) in 1932 he described Cosgrave's ministers' achievements simply. Having read the files, he told his son, Vivion, "they were magnificent, son". The Statute of Westminster allowed de Valera, on becoming President of the Executive Council (February 1932), to go even further. With no ensuing restrictions on his policies, he abolished the Oath of Allegiance (which Cosgrave intended to do had he won
1281-613: The Free State's establishment, the new dominion had the "lowest birth-rate in the world". The report noted that amongst countries for which statistics were available ( Ceylon , Chile, Japan , Spain, South Africa , the Netherlands, Canada, Germany , Australia, the United States, Britain, New Zealand, Finland, and the Irish Free State), Ceylon had the highest birth rate at 40.8 per 1,000 while the Irish Free State had
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#17327766651191342-461: The Free State, in which case a Boundary Commission would be established to determine where the boundary between them should lie. Members of the parliament of the Free State would be required to take an oath of allegiance to the Constitution of the Free State and to declare that they would be "faithful" to the king (a modification of the oath taken in other dominions). The Dáil ratified
1403-576: The Free State, the Irish Civil War was waged between the newly established National Army and the Anti-Treaty IRA , which refused to recognise the state. The Civil War ended in victory for the government forces, with its opponents dumping their arms in May 1923. The Anti-Treaty political party, Sinn Féin , refused to take its seats in the Dáil, leaving the relatively small Labour Party as
1464-662: The Government of Ireland Act 1920) to become Chairman of the Provisional Government of the Irish Free State in accordance with the Treaty. The general election in June gave overwhelming support for the pro-Treaty parties. W. T. Cosgrave 's Crown-appointed Provisional Government effectively subsumed Griffith's republican administration with the death of both Collins and Griffith in August 1922. The following were
1525-432: The Irish Free State ( Irish : Uachtarán ar Ard-Chomhairle Shaorstát Éireann ) was the head of government or prime minister of the Irish Free State which existed from 1922 to 1937. He was the chairman of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State , the Free State's cabinet . The president was appointed by the governor-general , upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann (the lower house of parliament) and had to enjoy
1586-426: The Irish Free State, to the exclusion of British ministers. This had the effect of giving the president of the Executive Council the right to advise the king in his capacity as His Majesty's Irish prime minister. The office of president of the Executive Council came into being on 6 December 1922 with the establishment of the Irish Free State, replacing the previous offices of president of Dáil Éireann and chairman of
1647-587: The Irish Republican Army (IRA) and British security forces, continued until July 1921 when a truce came into force. By this time the Parliament of Northern Ireland had opened, established under the Government of Ireland Act 1920 , presenting the republican movement with a fait accompli and guaranteeing the British presence in Ireland. In October negotiations opened in London between members of
1708-809: The Northern Bank name. The bank asked that its staff wear red carnations to mark a "happy and memorable day". There followed a rationalisation of the merged company's 287 branches, many of which were located in the same street as others. The company was later acquired by the National Australia Bank and is now owned by Danske Bank and trades under their brand. Irish Free State The Irish Free State (6 December 1922 – 29 December 1937), also known by its Irish name Saorstát Éireann ( English: / ˌ s ɛər s t ɑː t ˈ ɛər ə n / SAIR -staht AIR -ən , Irish: [ˈsˠiːɾˠsˠt̪ˠaːt̪ˠ ˈeːɾʲən̪ˠ] ),
1769-407: The Provisional Government . Only two individuals held the office of president of the Executive Council during its existence: W. T. Cosgrave , until 1932, and Éamon de Valera thereafter. Under a constitutional amendment passed in 1936 and legislation passed in 1937 the office of governor-general was abolished, with most of his powers being transferred to the Executive Council. At the same time,
1830-686: The Republic on the treaty's ratification. His resignation outraged some of his own supporters, notably Seán T. O'Kelly , the main Sinn Féin organiser. On resigning, he then sought re-election but was defeated two days later on a vote of 60–58. The pro-Treaty Arthur Griffith followed as President of the Irish Republic. Michael Collins was chosen at a meeting of the members elected to sit in the House of Commons of Southern Ireland (a body set up under
1891-596: The Senate of Northern Ireland passed resolutions "for the express purpose of opting out of the Free State". The Treaty established that the new state would be a constitutional monarchy , with the Governor-General of the Irish Free State as representative of the Crown. The Constitution of the Irish Free State made more detailed provision for the state's system of government, with a three-tier parliament, called
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1952-455: The Treaty on 7 January 1922, causing a split in the republican movement. A Provisional Government was formed, with Michael Collins as chairman. The Irish Free State was established on 6 December 1922, and the Provisional Government became the Executive Council of the Irish Free State , headed by W. T. Cosgrave as President of the Executive Council . The following day, the Commons and
2013-444: The Treaty still afforded Ireland more internal independence than it had possessed in over 400 years, and far more autonomy than had ever been hoped for by those who had advocated for Home Rule . However, a number of conditions existed: The Statute of Westminster of 1931, embodying a decision of an Imperial Conference, enabled each dominion to enact new legislation or to change any extant legislation, without resorting to any role for
2074-582: The UK. In 1937, he drafted a new constitution , which was adopted by a plebiscite in July of that year. The Free State came to an end with the coming into force of the new constitution on 29 December 1937, when the state took the name " Ireland ". The Easter Rising of 1916 and its aftermath caused a profound shift in public opinion towards the republican cause in Ireland . In the December 1918 General Election ,
2135-509: The accolade of election to a non-permanent seat on the council of the League of Nations and asserted its full equality with Britain and the other dominions within the Commonwealth. By contrast, the military was drastically reduced in size and scope, with its budget cut by 82% from 1924 to 1929. The active duty forces were reduced from 28,000 men to 7,000. Cooperation with London was minimal. According to one report, in 1924, shortly after
2196-480: The bank to mark its centenary. In 1965 the Midland Bank acquired the Northern Bank and set in place measures to merge the two companies. This process was complicated as both banks were note-issuing entities and if a third company was created, as would be usual practice, it would not hold the same powers. The merger was achieved on 1 July 1970, through an act of the British parliament, with the new company using
2257-483: The confidence of the Dáil to remain in office. The office was succeeded by that of taoiseach , though subsequent Taoisigh are numbered from the first president of the Executive. The president of the Executive Council was nominated by the Dáil and then formally appointed by the governor-general, though the governor-general was bound by constitutional convention to honour the Dáil's choice. On paper, executive power
2318-580: The consent of a majority of the people, democratically expressed, in both jurisdictions in the island". With regard to religion, a section of Article 44 included the following: The State recognises the special position of the Holy Catholic Apostolic and Roman Church as the guardian of the Faith professed by the great majority of the citizens. The State also recognises the Church of Ireland ,
2379-410: The crown and governor-generalship existed separately from the constitution in a vast number of acts, charters, orders-in-council, and letters patent, they both still existed. A second bill, the " Executive Powers (Consequential Provisions) Act, 1937 " was quickly introduced to repeal the necessary elements. De Valera retroactively dated the second act back to December 1936. The new state continued to use
2440-453: The draft document was subsequently approved by the Dáil. A plebiscite was held on 1 July 1937, which was the same day as the 1937 general election , when a relatively narrow majority approved it. The new Constitution of Ireland ( Bunreacht na hÉireann ) repealed the 1922 Constitution, and came into effect on 29 December 1937. The state was named Ireland ( Éire in the Irish language ), and
2501-558: The first President of the Executive Council (prime minister). The Oireachtas or legislature consisted of Dáil Éireann (the lower house) and Seanad Éireann (the upper house), also known as the Senate. Members of the Dáil were required to take an Oath of Allegiance to the Constitution of the Free State and to declare fidelity to the king . The oath was a key issue for opponents of the Treaty, who refused to take it and therefore did not take their seats. Pro-Treaty members, who formed Cumann na nGaedheal in 1923, held an effective majority in
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2562-567: The first, an oath to the Free State, as by law established , the second part a promise of fidelity, to His Majesty, King George V, his heirs and successors . That second fidelity element, however, was qualified in two ways. It was to the King in Ireland, not specifically to the King of the United Kingdom. Secondly, it was to the king explicitly in his role as part of the Treaty settlement, not in terms of pre-1922 British rule. The Oath itself came from
2623-455: The issue. The Free State was not a republic. The Oath became a key issue in the resulting Irish Civil War that divided the pro and anti-treaty sides in 1922–23. The compromises contained in the agreement caused the civil war in the 26 counties in June 1922 – April 1923, in which the pro-Treaty Provisional Government defeated the anti-Treaty Republican forces. The latter were led, nominally, by Éamon de Valera , who had resigned as President of
2684-490: The monarchy, it was criticised by nationalists and republicans for making any reference to the Crown, the claim being that it was a direct oath to the Crown, a fact arguably incorrect by an examination of its wording, but in 1922 Ireland and beyond, many argued that the fact remained that as a dominion the King (and therefore the British) was still Head of State and that was the practical reality that influenced public debate on
2745-446: The only opposition party. In 1926, when Sinn Féin president Éamon de Valera failed to have this policy reversed, he resigned from Sinn Féin and led most of its membership into a new party, Fianna Fáil , which entered the Dáil following the 1927 general election . It formed the government after the 1932 general election , when it became the largest party. De Valera abolished the oath of allegiance and embarked on an economic war with
2806-488: The president of the Executive Council ceased to be formally appointed by the governor-general, thenceforth simply being elected by the Dáil. The Irish Free State was reconstituted as ' Ireland ' on 29 December 1937, when the present-day Constitution of Ireland came into effect. The new Constitution abolished the office of president of the Executive Council, replacing it with that of taoiseach (prime minister – literally meaning "Chieftain" or "Leader" ). The Taoiseach occupies
2867-422: The president of the Executive Council was closer to being the Executive Council's chairman or presiding officer, than its dominant leader. Nonetheless a strong president could exercise authority beyond the limits laid down in the 1922 constitution. The president's weak position arose from the fact that the status of his office was modelled on that of the prime minister of the United Kingdom before 1918. Until 1918,
2928-413: The president, the governor-general appointed the remaining members of the Executive Council on the president's nomination. The president had the freedom to choose any vice-president ( deputy prime minister ) he wished from among the members of the Dáil, but the remainder of the cabinet had to be approved by a vote of consent in the Dáil before they could assume office. If he ceased to "retain the support of
2989-513: The principal parties of government of the Free State between 1922 and 1937: Michael Collins described the Treaty as "the freedom to achieve freedom". In practice, the Treaty offered most of the symbols and powers of independence. These included a functioning, if disputed, parliamentary democracy with its own executive, judiciary and written constitution which could be changed by the Oireachtas. Although an Irish republic had not been on offer,
3050-583: The promotion of alcohol, contraceptives, divorce, and abortion as the pursuits of the old 'Protestant-elite' and Jews, with their efforts combined through the Freemasons . Denis Fahey described Ireland as "the third most Masonic country in the world" and saw this alleged order as contrary to the creation of an independent Irish State. In 1937 the Fianna Fáil government presented a draft of an entirely new Constitution to Dáil Éireann. An amended version of
3111-464: The real power was exercised by the Executive Council, as the Governor-General was almost always bound to act on the advice of the Executive Council. The office of Governor-General of the Irish Free State replaced the previous Lord Lieutenant , who had headed English and British administrations in Ireland since the Middle Ages. Governors-General were appointed by the king initially on the advice of
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#17327766651193172-514: The republican Sinn Féin party won a large majority of the Irish seats in the British parliament: 73 of the 105 constituencies returned Sinn Féin members (25 uncontested). The elected Sinn Féin MPs, rather than take their seats at Westminster, set up their own assembly, known as Dáil Éireann (Assembly of Ireland). It affirmed the formation of an Irish Republic and passed a Declaration of Independence . The subsequent War of Independence , fought between
3233-545: The right to seek a parliamentary dissolution. In 1931, the Statute of Westminster 1931 removed nearly all of the UK Parliament's authority to legislate for the Irish Free State, which effectively gave the Free State de jure independence. Soon after the Statute's passage, the Free State sought, and was granted, the right to have an Irish minister formally advise the King in the exercise of his powers and functions in
3294-409: The same weight and fineness of gold as was the sovereign at the time, making the new currency pegged at 1:1 with sterling. The State circulated its new national coinage in 1928, marked Saorstát Éireann and a national series of banknotes . British coinage remained acceptable in the Free State at an equal rate. In 1937, when the Free State was superseded by Ireland ( Éire ), the pound became known as
3355-554: The south largely came to an end. The 1937 Constitution saw a notable ideological slant to the changes of the framework of the State in such a way as to create one that appeared to be distinctly Irish. This was done so by implementing corporatist policies (based on the concepts of the Roman Catholic Church , as Catholicism was perceived to be deeply imbedded with the perception of Irish identity). A clear example of this
3416-664: Was a state established in December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 1921. The treaty ended the three-year Irish War of Independence between the forces of the Irish Republic – the Irish Republican Army (IRA) – and British Crown forces. The Free State was established as a dominion of the British Empire . It comprised 26 of the 32 counties of Ireland . Northern Ireland , which
3477-454: Was an established element in the European system and a member of the League of Nations. It had blazed a trail in asserting the rights of the dominions to their own foreign policy, in the process establishing full diplomatic relations with the United States, France, Belgium, Germany, and the Holy See. It was concluding its own political and commercial treaties and using the apparatus of international relations to pursue its interests. It had received
3538-444: Was made up of the remaining six counties, exercised its right under the Treaty to opt out of the new state. The Free State government consisted of the Governor-General – the representative of the king – and the Executive Council (cabinet), which replaced both the revolutionary Dáil Government and the Provisional Government set up under the Treaty. W. T. Cosgrave , who had led both of these administrations since August 1922, became
3599-408: Was merged with Northern Bank , which had also been acquired by the Midland. The Belfast Banking Company was established as a limited company on 2 July 1827 by a merger of the last two private banks in Belfast, Ireland: Batt's/The Belfast Bank (established 1808) and Tennant's/The Commercial Bank. The company had 337 shareholders at establishment and opened for business on 1 August 1827. It operated in
3660-414: Was the subject of intense lobbying by leading Church figures throughout the 1930s in calling for reform of the State's framework. Much of this was reflected in the new 1937 Constitution. 53°20′52″N 6°15′35″W / 53.34778°N 6.25972°W / 53.34778; -6.25972 President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State The president of the Executive Council of
3721-460: Was vested in the governor-general, with the Executive Council empowered to "aide and advise" him. However, it also stipulated that the governor-general could only exercise his powers in accordance with constitutional practice established in Canada . Thus, the governor-general was required to exercise his powers on the advice of the Executive Council, making the president of the council the Free State's de facto political leader. Once he had appointed
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