P/H/19. Eamon de Valera and the 1937 Constitution of Ireland

The paper looks back at the situation in Ireland in 1937 when a new constitution of the country was drawn by Eamon de Valera, the Irish anti-colonial leader and later the Prime Minister of Ireland, or Eire. The symbolic aspects of the constitution with regard to Gaelic culture are addressed. De Valera's political views are outlined in the context of Ireland's relations with Britain, the British Empire and the Catholic Church. The process of work at the draft of the constitution is described