Leaving cert history

1. Fianna Fail in Power

2. Title: Fianna Fail in Power 1932
Keywords:
• Irish Press
• Governor General
• Domhnall O’Buachalla
• External relations act 1936
• Bunreacht na hEireann
• Economic War
• Self sufficiency
• Aer Lingus
• The Blueshirts

3. The Rise of Fianna Fail:
• Fianna Fail provided an alternative to the Cumann na
nGaedheal government and opposed many acts after
entering the Dail in 1927
• Fianna fail had a well organised party based around
local ‘Cumann’ and a newspaper ‘The Irish Press’
• They had a close connection to the IRA at this time and
were seen as more anti-British than Cosgrave’s party
• Their economic policy was more favoured by small
farmers and ordinary workers (CnaG was seen by some
as favouring big farmers and industry)

4. Fianna Fail in Power
• The electoral amendment bill had forced those elected to the
Dail to take their seats when elected. De Valera and his
colleagues entered the Dail on August 11th 1927.
• De Valera merely signs the oath rather than speaking it
• Fianna Fail duly won the 1932 general election and DeValera
set about achieving three main aims:
-To remove the Oath of Allegiance
-To stop the paying of costly Land Annuities to the British
-To dismantle the treaty, piece by piece

5. The Oath:
• It was proof of Loyalty to the British Crown
De Valera saw no reason to consult the British on
it’s removal from the Free State constitution
• He informed the British of his intentions and the
act removing the Oath was passed in May 1933
• The British were surprised by his brashness but
took no action

6. The Governer General:
• Like the Oath, it was symbolic of British rule
James MacNeill (brother of Eoin) was Governer general
• Fianna Fail TDs boycotted any events attended by him to
make a mockery of the position
• Eventually MacNeill was forced to resign after publishing
letters between himself and DeValera about the boycott
• DeValera replaced MacNeill with Domhnall O’Buachalla, a
1916 veteran who refused to live in the official residence,
only spoke Irish and refused to appear in public, thus making
a mockery of the position
• The British did nothing for fear of embarrassing the King

7. External relations act (1936):
• When King Edward VIII announced his intention to
abdicate (he had to step down in order to marry an
American divorcee, Wallis Simpson), DeValera saw his
opportunity
• The government introduced the Constitutional
Amendment bill that removed reference to the King
from the Free state constitution
• The External relations act (1936) was also introduced
and meant the King was now only recognised in terms
of the commonwealth (this is very close to DeValera’s
proposed idea back in 1922 of External association)
• These acts now allowed a new constitution to be
written and voted on by the people of Ireland

8. Bunreacht na hEireann (1937):
• Free State now known as Éire
• Lays claim to the ‘Whole Island of Ireland’
• Gave religious Freedom but the special position of
Catholic Church is recognised
• Institution of marriage was guarded with ‘Special Care’
with Divorce banned
• Head of State was President (Uachtarain)
• Head of the government (Taoiseach)
• Constitution can only be changed with a referendum

9. • The new constitution created a republic in all but name
(Republic not proclaimed until 1949)
• Unionists disputed claim over Northern Ireland but the
British did not object (concerned elsewhere?)
• The constitution marks the high point of De Valera’s
power and his lasting contribution to Irish life
• De Valera had resisted pressure from the Pope to
declare the Catholic church the state religion and
instead created a constitution with basic rights and
freedoms, with limits on the power of government
• It was a document reflective of its time, despite its
flaws
• Ireland had now evolved from a state with Dominion
status to one with virtual independence

10. The Economic War 1932-1938:
• Land Annuties were costing the Free State £3 million each
year. Money they could ill afford.
• In July 1932 DeValera announced he was not going to pay
• The British responded by imposing tariffs on Irish imports
(20% on Irish dairy, poultry and beef) Ireland did the same
to British Coal, Cement and Steel
• The war saw economic hardship for many in Ireland with
emigration and unemployment rising
• The government distributed free meat and dairy to those
in need and offered loans to farmers (DeValera saw it as
economic price of political freedom)

11. 1938 Anglo-Irish agreement
• The dispute was damaging both British and Irish
economies
• Britain also didn’t want to risk alienating Ireland
with war against the Nazis looking ever more
likely
Terms of the
Agreement:
One-off payment of £10 millionEnd of Tariffs on imports
Britain to give up claim over ‘treaty ports’

12. Results of the Economic War:
• Policy of Neutrality during WWII became possible
• De Valera becomes more respected in Britain,
while his popularity soars in Ireland
• Serious depression in agriculture and economic
decline in Ireland. Living standards dropped
• More inward looking economic policy (belief in
self-sufficiency)

13. Fianna Fail Economic Policy:
• Policies based on Self-sufficiency in a period of worldwide
economic depression
• High Tariffs on imports to support Irish producers (failed to
improve quality because of no competition)
• Industrial Credit Corporation set up to provide loans to
business
Semi-state bodies Irish Sugar Company, Aer Lingus and Turf
Development board set up
• Employment in industry rose by over 50,000 in six years in part
due to the work of Sean Lemass, (The minister for Industry and
Commerce)
• The Housing act of 1932 also saw the government build
132,000 houses and clear slum areas of the cities. They also
improved unemployment assistance and pensions.

14. Law and Order:
• When Fianna Fail came to power, it released many
of the IRA prisoners that had been imprisoned
during the reign of Cumann na nGaedheal
• DeValera hoped that by dismantling the treaty he
could control and calm these men
• The IRA now began to violently disrupt Cumann na
nGaedheal meetings throughout the country
• Cumann na nGaedheal sought to protect
themselves from these attacks

15. Title: The Blueshirts

16. De Valera and the IRA:
• The government were concerned that the IRA and
Blueshirts would get into direct conflict and Ireland
would descend into civil war again.
• The IRA were becoming more militant the longer
Fianna fail were in power
• In June 1936, De Valera declared the IRA illegal and
had its leaders imprisoned
• While De Valera had now turned full circle, it could
be argued he did what was needed in the
circumstances.

17. Introduction
Context: What type of
economy did their
inherit? What type of
economy did Ireland
have? Currency,
pensions cut and
wages cut. Why? Low
taxes?
Agriculture under
CnaG, inspectors,
sugar beet, ACC,
success in agriculture,
quality of produce,
open market
Financial arrangements
made with British? RIC
pensions and land
annuities? Show
weakness? Wall street
crash and unpopular
policy?
Agriculture under FF
Protectionism made
standards fall, little
investment in
agriculture, idea of self
sufficiency? Was it
realistic?
De Valera economic war-
negatives, what effect did it
have on economy? How did
people view it? Long term
damage? Success or failure?
What was the eventual
settlement?
Industry under FF
ACC, unemployment falls,
employment rises
50,000, building houses
132,000, Aer Lingus, Bord
na Mona, increased
industrial output
Conclusion
Shannon scheme and industrial
discussion. What industrial
things did they do? Failure or
success?