100 Years Ago; The Irish Constitution; by Darrell Figgis

WHAT IS A CONSTITUTION? During the early days of the second French Republic a customer entered a bookseller’s and asked: “Have you a copy of the French Constitution?” “We do not,” the bookseller politely replied, “deal in periodical literature.”

THE IRISH CONSTITUTION EXPLAINED BY DARRELL FIGGIS

In March 1922, Michael Collins charged Darrell Figgis with writing the Constitution of the Free State. Although Collins never fully trusted him, he did recognize Figgis’ superior writing skills, appointing him vice-chairman of the committee assembled to draft the constitution. Figgis inadvertently ended up chairing many of the meetings as Michael Collins, occupied with other business, missed many of them. Figgis proved to be very effective at the helm, completing the constitution in a record quick time in September 1922. The sad irony was that Michael Collins did not live to see the work completed. He had died the previous month.

Darrell Figgis published, the Irish Constitution Explained, later in 1922 to Arthur Griffith, who died a week before Michael Collins.

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/32612/32612-h/32612-h.htm

Sources

https://www.dib.ie/biography/figgis-darrell-a3078

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/32612/32612-h/32612-h.htm

Londonderry Sentinel 07 September 1922

Scenes from a Funeral

The burial of Michael Collins took place on August 28th 1922. It was the largest and most sombre of that era.

Weekly Freeman’s Journal 02 September 1922

From City Hall, Collins’s remains were taken to the Pro-Cathedral through streets thronged with thousands of mourning spectators, some occupying the windows of the buildings overlooking the street. Read more: https://www.rte.ie/centuryireland/index.php/articles/funeral-procession-for-michael-collins-one-of-the-largest-ever-witnessed-in-dublin

Tens of thousands people lined the route to Glasnevin Cemetery to pay tribute to Collins, as his cortêge made its ways through the city. It is said that 20,000 soldiers and civilians marched behind the coffin. The oration was given by General Richard Mulcahy before he was laid to rest among good and the great of who played their part in the course of Irish freedom.

Weekly Freeman’s Journal 02 September 1922

Sources

https://www.rte.ie/centuryireland/index.php/articles/funeral-procession-for-michael-collins-one-of-the-largest-ever-witnessed-in-dublin

Weekly Freeman’s Journal 02 September 1922

Michael Collins

On August 22nd 1922 a terrible news of Michael Collin’s untimely death began spreading around the country. His passing came days after the death of Arthur Griffith, another member of the Treaty negotiation team, again gone before his time.

Michael Collins and the media–then and now

Freeman’s Journal 24 August 1922

Dazed incredulity was the first sensation with which citizens heard the tragic news yesterday morning. But The grim announcement in black type was not to be gainsaid, and the horror of the thing dawned upon all in its full immensity It was as if everyone from the highest to the lowest, had lost an intimate comrade.

Freeman’s Journal 24 August 1922
Weekly Freeman’s Journal 26 August 1922

Sources

Freeman’s Journal 23 August 1922

Michael Collins and the media–then and now

Weekly Freeman’s Journal 26 August 1922

Arthur Griffith

Some time after the outbreak of the Civil War at the end of June 1922, Arthur Griffith began to feel unwell. He had been working more or less non stop since negotiating the Treaty which was ratified the previous January. As its terms were not widely accepted, he spent the time since defending it. After the general election of June 16th, in which he was elected for Cavan, Griffith attended forty-one of the forty-two provisional government meetings which took place in the week between 23 June and 30 July.

His strong and vigorous constitution was debilitated by the heavy burden of official responsibilities and great anxieties consequent on the tragic happenings of the last six weeks and only under the persuasion of his own relatives and personal friends died he consent to go into the Private Nursing Home, 96 Lower Lesson Street, where the past fortnight he had been under treatment, leaving it only for brief itrevals to go to his office in Merrion Street.

Freeman’s Journal 14 August 1922

After contracting influenza along with tonsillitis, he remaining working, and even began to show signs of improving. But on the morning of 12th August he suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and died. He was only 51.

After he entered the nursing home he was attended to by Dr. St John Gogarty, who released a medical statement after his passing

Funeral

A pall of melancholy seemed to hang over the whole town. The funeral and the empty grave were the thoughts on all minds.

Weekly Freeman’s Journal 19 August 1922

Sources

Freeman’s Journal 14 August 1922

https://www.dib.ie/biography/griffith-arthur-joseph-a3644 Contributed by Michael Laffan

Weekly Freeman’s Journal 19 August 1922