Anglo-Irish Treaty Dáil vote


The Anglo-Irish Treaty was signed in London on 6 December 1921 and Dáil Éireann voted to approve the treaty on 7 January 1922, following a debate through late December 1921 and into January 1922. The vote was 64 in favour, 57 against, with the Ceann Comhairle and 3 others not voting. The Sinn Féin party split into opposing sides in the aftermath of the Treaty vote, which led to the Irish Civil War from June 1922 to May 1923.

Background

Two elections took place in Ireland in 1921, as a result of the Government of Ireland Act 1920 to establish the House of Commons of Northern Ireland and the House of Commons of Southern Ireland. The election was used by the Irish Republic as the basis of membership of the Second Dáil. The general election to the Northern Ireland House of Commons occurred on 24 May. Of 52 seats, forty were won by unionists, six by moderate Irish nationalists and six by Sinn Féin. No actual polling took place in the Southern Ireland constituencies, as all 128 candidates were returned unopposed. Given the backdrop of the increasingly violent War of Independence, any candidates opposed to Sinn Féin and their supporters could expect to be harassed by the Irish Republican Army. Supporters of the Labour Party stood aside to allow the constitutional situation to run its course. Of these 128, 124 were won by Sinn Féin, and four by independent unionists representing the University of Dublin. Only the Sinn Féin candidates recognised the Second Dáil and five of these had been elected in two constituencies, one in each part of Ireland, so the total number of members who assembled in the Second Dáil was 125.
During the Second Dáil, the government of the Irish Republic and the British government of David Lloyd George agreed to hold peace negotiations. On 14 September 1921 the Dáil ratified the appointment of Arthur Griffith, Michael Collins, Robert Barton, Eamonn Duggan and George Gavan Duffy as envoys plenipotentiary for the peace conference in England. These envoys eventually signed the Anglo-Irish Treaty on 6 December. After almost a month of acrimonious debate the treaty was formally ratified by Dáil Éireann on 7 January 1922.

Vote

The Ceann Comhairle Eoin MacNeill absented himself from the vote in accordance with standing orders. It was ruled that the four other TDs, Michael Collins, Arthur Griffith, Éamon de Valera and Seán Milroy, who had been elected for two constituencies would only cast one vote each. Of the 124 Teachtaí Dála who were entitled to vote as a result of these rulings, 121 cast their vote in the Dáil, and three abstained. The result of the vote was: 64 in favour of the Treaty and 57 against. Three TDs eligible to vote did not do so:
NameConstituencyVoteNotes
Frank DrohanWaterford–Tipperary East
Laurence GinnellLongford–WestmeathDid not vote
Died 17 April 1923
Thomas KellyDublin SouthDid not vote
Fianna Fáil TD 1933–42
Robert BartonKildare–WicklowFor
Piaras BéaslaíKerry–Limerick WestFor
Ernest BlytheMonaghanFor
Patrick BrennanClareForResigned Dáil seat on 11 December 1922
Francis BulfinLeix–OffalyFor
Séamus BurkeTipperary Mid, North and SouthFor
Christopher ByrneKildare–WicklowForFianna Fáil TD 1943–44
Thomas CarterLeitrim–Roscommon NorthFor
Michael CollinsArmaghForKilled on 22 August 1922
Michael CollinsCork Mid, North, South, South–East and WestForKilled on 22 August 1922
Richard CorishWexfordFor
Philip CosgraveDublin North-EastFor
W. T. CosgraveCarlow–KilkennyFor
James CrowleyKerry–Limerick WestFor
Liam de RóisteCork BoroughFor
James DolanLeitrim–Roscommon NorthFor
Michael DerhamDublin CountyFor
Eamonn DugganLouth–MeathFor
Séamus DwyerDublin CountyFor
Desmond FitzGeraldDublin CountyFor
Paul GalliganCavanFor
George Gavan DuffyDublin CountyFor
Arthur GriffithCavanForDied on 12 August 1922
Arthur GriffithFermanagh and TyroneForDied on 12 August 1922
Seán HalesCork Mid, North, South, South–East and WestForKilled on 6 December 1922
Michael HayesNational University of IrelandFor
Richard HayesLimerick City–Limerick EastFor
William HayesLimerick City–Limerick EastFor
Seán HayesCork Mid, North, South, South–East and WestFor
Patrick HoganGalwayFor
Peter HughesLouth–MeathFor
Andrew LavinLeitrim–Roscommon NorthFor
Frank LawlessDublin CountyForDied on 16 April 1922
Sean LiddyClareFor
Fionán LynchKerry–Limerick WestFor
Joseph LynchLeix–OffalyFor
Joseph MacBrideMayo North and WestFor
Alexander McCabeSligo–Mayo EastFor
Patrick McCartanLeix–OffalyFor
Daniel McCarthyDublin SouthFor
Seán Mac EoinLongford–WestmeathFor
Seán McGarryDublin MidFor
Joseph McGinleyDonegalFor
Patrick McGoldrickDonegalFor
Joseph McGrathDublin North-EastFor
Joseph McGuinnessLongford–WestmeathForDied on 31 May 1922
Justin McKennaLouth–MeathFor
Seán MilroyCavanFor
Seán MilroyFermanagh and TyroneFor
Richard MulcahyDublin North-EastFor
James MurphyLouth–MeathFor
George NicollsGalwayFor
Thomas O'DonnellSligo–Mayo EastFor
Eoin O'DuffyMonaghanForResigned Dáil seat on 11 December 1922
Kevin O'HigginsLeix–OffalyFor
Patrick O'KeeffeCork Mid, North, South, South–East and WestFor
Pádraic Ó MáilleGalwayFor
Daniel O'RourkeFor
Gearóid O'SullivanCarlow–KilkennyFor
Lorcan RobbinsLongford–WestmeathFor
William SearsMayo South–Roscommon SouthFor
Michael StainesDublin North-EastFor
Joseph SweeneyDonegalFor
James J. WalshCork BoroughFor
Peter WardDonegalFor
Joseph WhelehanGalwayFor
Vincent WhiteWaterford–Tipperary EastFor
Edward AylwardCarlow–KilkennyAgainst
Harry BolandMayo South–Roscommon SouthAgainstDied 2 August 1922
Cathal BrughaWaterford–Tipperary EastAgainstDied 7 July 1922
Patrick CahillKerry–Limerick WestAgainst
Frank CartySligo–Mayo EastAgainstTook his seat in the Dáil on 12 August 1927
Kildare–WicklowAgainstDied 24 November 1922
Kathleen ClarkeDublin MidAgainstTook her seat in the Dáil on 12 August 1927
Michael ColivetLimerick City–Limerick EastAgainst
Con CollinsKerry–Limerick WestAgainst
Daniel CorkeryCork Mid, North, South, South–East and WestAgainstTook his seat in the Dáil on 12 August 1927
John CrowleyMayo North and WestAgainst
Bryan CusackGalwayAgainst
Eamon DeeWaterford–Tipperary EastAgainst
Éamon de ValeraClareAgainstTook his seat in the Dáil on 12 August 1927
Éamon de ValeraDownAgainstTook his seat in the Dáil on 12 August 1927
Thomas DerrigMayo North and WestAgainstTook his seat in the Dáil on 12 August 1927
James DevinsSligo–Mayo EastAgainstDied 20 September 1922
Séamus DoyleWexfordAgainst
Ada EnglishNational University of IrelandAgainst
Seán EtchinghamWexfordAgainstDied 23 April 1923
Frank FahyGalwayAgainstTook his seat in the Dáil on 12 August 1927
Francis FerranSligo–Mayo EastAgainstDied 10 June 1923
Séamus FitzgeraldCork East and North–EastAgainstTook his seat in Seanad Éireann, 1934
Thomas HunterCork East and North–EastAgainst
David KentCork East and North–EastAgainst
James LennonCarlow–KilkennyAgainst
Seán MacEnteeMonaghanAgainstTook his seat in the Dáil on 12 August 1927
Joseph MacDonaghTipperary Mid, North and SouthAgainstDied 25 December 1922
Mary MacSwineyCork BoroughAgainstSigned statement on 8 December 1938
Seán MacSwineyCork Mid, North, South, South–East and WestAgainst
Tom MaguireMayo South–Roscommon SouthAgainstSigned statement on 8 December 1938
Constance MarkieviczDublin SouthAgainstIn the June 1927 general election, she was re-elected to the 5th Dáil as a candidate for the new Fianna Fáil party, which was pledged to return to Dáil Éireann, but died only five weeks later, before she could take up her seat.
Liam MellowsGalwayAgainstDied 8 December 1922
P. J. MoloneyTipperary Mid, North and SouthAgainst
Seán MoylanCork Mid, North, South, South–East and WestAgainstTook his seat in the Dáil in 1932
Seán NolanCork Mid, North, South, South–East and WestAgainst
Patrick O'ByrneTipperary Mid, North and SouthAgainst
Daniel O'CallaghanCork BoroughAgainst
Kathleen O'CallaghanLimerick City–Limerick EastAgainst
Art O'ConnorKildare–WicklowAgainst
Joseph O'DohertyDonegalAgainstTook his seat in the Seanad in 1928
Thomas O'DonoghueKerry–Limerick WestAgainst
Samuel O'FlahertyDonegalAgainst
Brian O'HigginsClareAgainstSigned statement on 8 December 1938
John J. O'KellyLouth–MeathAgainstSigned statement on 8 December 1938
Seán T. O'KellyDublin MidAgainstTook his seat in the Dáil on 12 August 1927
Seán O'MahonyFermanagh and TyroneAgainst
Cathal Ó MurchadhaDublin SouthAgainstSigned statement on 8 December 1938
Margaret PearseDublin CountyAgainstJoined Fianna Fáil, 1926
George Noble PlunkettLeitrim–Roscommon NorthAgainstSigned statement on 8 December 1938
Séumas RobinsonWaterford–Tipperary EastAgainstTook his seat in the Seanad in 1928
Edmund RocheKerry–Limerick WestAgainst
P. J. RuttledgeMayo North and WestAgainstTook his seat in the Dáil on 12 August 1927
James RyanWexfordAgainstTook his seat in the Dáil on 12 August 1927
Philip ShanahanDublin MidAgainst
Austin StackKerry–Limerick WestAgainst
William StockleyNational University of IrelandAgainstSigned statement on 8 December 1938
Domhnall Ua BuachallaKildare–WicklowAgainstTook his seat in the Dáil on 12 August 1927

Aftermath

To satisfy the requirements of the British constitution, the treaty also had to be ratified by the House of Commons of Southern Ireland. Thus Irish nationalists ended their boycott of the home rule parliament to attend the southern House of Commons as MPs. This they did alongside the four Unionist MPs who had refused to recognise the Dáil. In this way the treaty was ratified a second time in Dublin, this time unanimously as the anti-Treaty TDs refused to attend.
Under the terms of the Anglo-Irish Treaty a provisional parliament, considered by nationalists to be the Third Dáil, was elected in the 1922 general election on 16 June. Collins and de Valera agreed a pact between the pro- and anti-Treaty wings of Sinn Féin and this pact and the elections were endorsed by the Second Dáil. The new assembly was recognised both by nationalists and the British Government and so replaced both the Parliament of Southern Ireland and the Second Dáil with a single body. The anti-Treaty groups of IRA members, TDs and their supporters were still bitterly opposed to the settlement, despite the election result, and this led on to the Irish Civil War.