December 6th 1922-December 6th 2022... We Remember

Today the 6th of December 2022, as part of the Decade of Centenaries, we commemorate the establishment of the Irish Free State a century previous, on the 6th of December 1922. One year after the signing of the Anglo- Irish Treaty, December 6th 1921,W.T Cosgrave was elected as the first leader of the independent government. The birth of the Free State was a culmination of the efforts of our ancestors through 6 years of conflict ,from the 1916 Rising to the War of Independence and Civil War. The Irish Free State may not have been the 32 County Republic that was sought ,but in the words of Micheal Collins, it is ‘a stepping stone to achieving freedom’. The Free State paved the way towards greater independence.The government of today, the historic coalition of Fianna Fáíl, Fine Gael and the Green Party marked an end to the Civil Wars politics demonstrating that parliamentary tradition prevails. Today we remember that this was all made possible through the establishment of the Free state 100 years previous. As we reflect back, today let us also look forward to what the next century holds for our country, and for all the students of Sacred Heart, you the future generation of the Irish Nation.

Claire Foyle 5th Year History Student