Religion and the Constitution of the Irish Free State

This chapter examines the question of why a secular Constitution was drafted for the Irish Free State in 1922. It also examines the constitutional provisions designed to protect religious minorities, in particular southern Protestants who often identified with unionist traditions. The chapter will also assess the assumption that the Catholic church took a relatively passive stance with respect to the drafting of the 1922 Constitution, a position that is often contrasted with the more active stance taken with respect to the 1937 Constitution. The conclusion will attempt to explain why a secular Constitution was chosen for the infant Irish State in 1922 despite hopes expressed in many quarters that it would become a model Christian state.