History of Ireland

About History of Ireland

(Gaeilge)

Ar an 18 Aibreán 1949, d’éirigh Éire ina Phoblacht. Tháinig Acht Phoblacht na hÉireann i bhfeidhm ar Luan Cásca 1949, 33 bhliain díreach tar éis Éirí Amach na Cásca.

Tugtar Éire nó, sa (Béarla: Ireland) ar an oileán in oirthear an Atlantaigh Thuaidh, díreach siar ón Bhreatain Mhór, ar sheilf ilchríochach na hEorpa agus ar ainm an stáit cheannasaigh, neamhspleách, dhaonlathaigh a chuimsíonn an chuid is mó de chríoch an oileáin. Tugtar Tuaisceart Éireann, ar an chuid eile den oileán, atá laistigh den Ríocht Aontaithe. Leag an tAcht Phoblacht na hÉireann, 1948 síos gur Poblacht na hÉireann is "gnéthuairisc" (tuairisc) ar an Stát. Tháinig an tAcht i ngníomh ar 18 Aibreán 1949. Cé gur fhan an an Stát neodrach le linn an Dara Chogaidh Dhomhanda agus cogaí eile ó shin, is ballstát de na Náisiúin Aontaithe agus den Aontas Eorpach í Éire, ach ní dheachaigh sí isteach in ECAT, ar eagraíocht mhíleata í.



(English)

The Irish state came into being in 1919 as the 32 county Irish Republic. In 1922, having seceded from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, it became the Irish Free State. It comprised 26 counties with 6 counties under the control of Unionists which became Northern Ireland in 1921. Bunreacht na hEireann 1937 constitution renamed the 26 states 'Ireland'. In 1949, only 26 counties explicitly became a republic under the terms of the Republic of Ireland Act 1948, definitively ending its tenuous membership of the British Commonwealth. In 1973 the Republic of Ireland joined the European Communities (EC) as a member state which would later become the European Union (EU).

Upon its foundation, the Irish Free State was embroiled in a civil war between nationalists supporting the Treaty and opponents who supported the existing Republic. The pro-Treaty side, organised as Cumann na nGaedheal, emerged victorious from the conflict and won subsequent elections. They formed the government of the state until 1932, when they peacefully handed over power to the anti-Treaty faction in Fianna Fáil, who defeated them in an election. The Irish state, despite its violent beginnings, has remained a liberal democracy throughout its existence. Changes in the 1930s removed many of the links with Britain established under the Treaty and Ireland's neutrality in the Second World War demonstrated its independence in foreign policy matters from Britain.

In the economic sphere, the Irish state has had a mixed performance. On independence, it was one of the wealthier countries in Europe per head of population. However it also inherited from British rule the problems of unemployment, emigration, uneven geographical development and lack of a native industrial base. For much of its history, the state struggled to rectify these problems. Particular peaks of emigration were recorded during the 1930s, 1950s and 1980s, when the Irish economy recorded little growth.