Third Dáil facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Third Dáil
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Overview
Legislative body	Dáil Éireann
Jurisdiction	Irish Republic Southern Ireland Irish Free State
Meeting place	UCD (Earlsfort Terrace) Leinster House
Term	9 September 1922 – 9 August 1923
Election	1922 general election
Government	Government of the 3rd Dáil
Members	128
Ceann Comhairle	Michael Hayes
Sessions
1st 9 September 1922 – 9 August 1923

The Third Dáil was a very important parliament in Ireland's history. It was chosen in a special election on 16 June 1922. This election was needed because of a big agreement called the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed in December 1921.

When it first met on 9 September 1922, it was called the Provisional Parliament or the Constituent Assembly of Southern Ireland. From 6 December 1922, it became the main law-making body (Dáil Éireann) for the new Irish Free State. It continued until 9 August 1923.

Why the Third Dáil Was Formed

The Anglo-Irish Treaty was an agreement between Irish leaders and the British government. It said that a new temporary government, called a "provisional government," should be set up in Southern Ireland. This temporary government would help manage things until the Irish Free State was fully formed.

To make this happen, the British government passed a law. This law said that the old parliament for Southern Ireland would close. It also said that new elections would be held for a new parliament. This new parliament would be in charge of the provisional government. This new parliament is what we now call the Third Dáil.

Choosing the Third Dáil: The 1922 Election

The election for the Third Dáil happened on 16 June 1922. People voted using a system called proportional representation with the single transferable vote. This system helps make sure that different groups get a fair number of seats.

Unlike the Second Dáil, which included members from all over Ireland, the Third Dáil only had members from Southern Ireland. This was because of the Treaty.

Before this election, the main political party, Sinn Féin, had split into two groups. One group supported the Anglo-Irish Treaty, and the other did not. These two groups were the main competitors in the election. Other political parties also took part for the first time.

Even though the two Sinn Féin groups had made a deal before the election, many people saw the election as a way to show if they supported the Treaty. The group that supported the Treaty won most of the seats. The group that was against the Treaty refused to join the new parliament. Soon after, the Irish Civil War began.

Two Ways of Looking at the Parliament

At this time, Ireland had two different ways of being governed:

• Irish View: Many Irish people saw this new assembly as the Third Dáil. They believed it was the true parliament of the Irish people, following the First Dáil (1919–1921) and the Second Dáil (1921–1922). They believed Ireland was an independent republic.
• British View: The British government saw this assembly as the Provisional Parliament. They believed it was the legal replacement for the House of Commons of Southern Ireland. They did not see the earlier Dáils as legal parliaments.

From both points of view, this assembly was a "constituent assembly." This means it was a special group whose job was to create a new constitution for the Irish Free State.

How Two Governments Became One

The Treaty set up a way for the Irish and British systems to slowly join together. At first, they stayed separate to make sure the Treaty was accepted by both sides.

• The Second Dáil (the Irish parliament) voted to approve the Treaty.
• The House of Commons of Southern Ireland (the British-recognized parliament) also voted to approve it.

Each group then chose its own government. However, many of the same people were in both governments. For example:

• Arthur Griffith became the President of Dáil Éireann on 10 January 1922.
• Michael Collins became the Chairman of the Provisional Government on 16 January 1922.

Sadly, Arthur Griffith died in August 1922, and Michael Collins was killed later that month. W. T. Cosgrave then took over as Chairman of the Provisional Government.

First Meeting of the Third Dáil

The Third Dáil was supposed to meet on 1 July 1922, but its first meeting was delayed several times. It finally met on 9 September 1922.

At this meeting, W. T. Cosgrave was chosen as the President of Dáil Éireann. He then formed a new government with the same people who were in the Provisional Government.

Some people who were against the Treaty questioned if this new parliament was truly Irish or if it was still under British rule. The Ceann Comhairle (the speaker of the Dáil) read a message from the British Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Lord FitzAlan, wishing the parliament well. This suggested that both sides saw it as a body formed under the Treaty.

Creating the Constitution: One System for Ireland

The new Constitution of the Irish Free State was very important. It said that it would only become law if both the British Parliament and the Third Dáil (which it called the "constituent assembly") approved it.

The Third Dáil approved the Constitution on 25 October 1922. The British Parliament then passed a law to make it official. The Constitution finally came into force on 6 December 1922.

The new Constitution called the main parliament of Ireland the Oireachtas, and its lower house was named Dáil Éireann. The Constitution also said that until new elections were held, the "constituent assembly" (the Third Dáil) would act as the new Dáil Éireann.

So, the Third Dáil worked as the main law-making body from December 1922 until it was closed down on 9 August 1923. This happened before the 1923 Irish general election. The next parliament, the Fourth Dáil, met on 19 September 1923. The numbering of these Irish parliaments starts with the First Dáil from January 1919.

See also

• Government of the 3rd Dáil
• Members of the 3rd Dáil
• Executive Council of the Irish Free State
• History of Ireland
• Irish War of Independence