Book Publication

Congratulations to Dr Laura Cahillane who, along with a colleague from NUIM, Dr Donal K. Coffey, has just published an edited collection with Palgrave Macmillan entitled:’ The Centenary of the Irish Free State Constitution; Constituting a Polity?’ The book explores the role, development, and legacy of the first Constitution of independent Ireland and continues a recent trend of re-examination of this period in Irish history. It examines themes such as the establishment of institutions and the ideals of popular sovereignty and democracy and it arises out of a conference organised by the editors in December 2022 to mark the Centenary of the Irish Free State Constitution.

The conference was held in the Shelbourne hotel, Dublin, where the Constitution was originally drafted. This was sponsored by the Courts Service, MUSSI, the Shelbourne, and the School of Law at the University of Limerick. The Conference was reported on in the Irish Times and RTE Radio and Morning Ireland held a special broadcast from the venue that morning to mark the event and included interviews with Laura and Donal. Contributors to the collection include academics, practitioners, and judges based in Ireland and beyond and the book also includes a foreword from the Chief Justice Donal O'Donnell.