Senate of Southern Ireland facts for kids
The Senate of Southern Ireland was like an "upper house" or a second part of the Parliament of Southern Ireland. It was officially created in 1921 by a law called the Government of Ireland Act 1920. This law said there should be 64 senators, but only 39 were chosen. The Senate only met twice before it was closed down. These meetings happened on June 28 and July 13, 1921, in Dublin at the Government Buildings.
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Who Was in the Senate?
The plan for who would be in the Senate was set out in the 1920 law. It was similar to ideas from a meeting called the Irish Convention (1917–18). There were supposed to be 64 members, chosen in different ways:
Members by Job (Ex Officio)
- 3 members were included automatically because of their important jobs:
- The Lord Chancellor of Ireland: This person was meant to lead the Senate meetings.
- The Lord Mayor of Dublin and the Lord Mayor of Cork: These were the main leaders of Dublin and Cork cities.
Members Chosen by the Lord Lieutenant
- 17 members were chosen by the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (a high-ranking official). These people were meant to represent different areas like business (including banking), workers, and learned professions (like doctors or scientists). They would serve for 10 years.
Members Elected by Groups
- 44 members were elected by special groups:
- 4 Archbishops or Bishops from the Roman Catholic Church in Southern Ireland.
- 2 Archbishops or Bishops from the Church of Ireland in Southern Ireland.
- 16 Peers (important noble people) who lived and paid taxes in Southern Ireland.
- 8 members of the Privy Council of Ireland (a group of advisors to the King) who had been members for at least two years and lived in Southern Ireland.
- 14 representatives from county councils. These were elected for three years:
Why Many Members Boycotted the Election
The elections for the Senate were planned for April 1921. However, only 39 of the 64 senators were actually chosen or elected. This was because the Irish Republic, which was declared by Sinn Féin in 1919, did not accept the 1920 law that created the Senate.
Sinn Féin had a lot of control over the county councils after the 1920 local elections. The councils asked the Dáil (the Irish Republic's parliament) if they should take part in the Senate elections. Most ministers in the Dáil wanted to boycott (refuse to participate) the elections. They felt the way members were chosen was not fair or democratic.
So, on April 28, 1921, Austin Stack, who was like the Minister for Home Affairs, told county council members and others who supported the Irish Republic not to take part in the Senate election. The main workers' union, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, and the Labour Party also supported the boycott. Even the Catholic leaders refused to cooperate.
Because of this boycott, many positions in the Senate were never filled. Out of the 39 people who were selected, only 27 officially took the oath to serve. Even fewer actually attended the meetings. Fifteen attended the first meeting, and twelve attended the second.
What Happened Next?
In 1922, both the Irish Republic and the idea of Southern Ireland were replaced by the Irish Free State. This was a new, independent country. Some of the people who had been senators in Southern Ireland later became senators in the Free State's own upper house, called the Seanad. They were either chosen by W. T. Cosgrave, who was the leader of the Free State, or elected by the members of the Dáil (the lower house).
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