The Irish Constitution

Figgis, Darrell, 1882-1925Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.4

Word count: 162K words
Chapters: 17

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Irish Constitution by Darrell FiggisAuthor: Figgis, Darrell, 1882-1925,Language: English, Class: JN: Political science: Political inst. and pub. Admin.: Europe, Release Date: May 30, 2010

Editor's review

This book is Darrell Figgis's systematic exposition of the Irish Constitution. Figgis was personally involved in the Irish constitutional process, so his account carries a contemporary's immediacy and sense of the issues at stake. The book examines the constitution's organizing principles, institutional arrangements and rights provisions, combining historical background with legal analysis; it can serve both as a guide for readers seeking to understand early twentieth-century Irish constitutional history and as supporting material for comparative constitutional studies. As a public-domain eBook from Project Gutenberg, it is easy to search and cite, and is especially suited to researchers who need to consult the original text. Readers are advised to read it alongside the historical context of the Irish independence movement, to note the author's standpoint as a participant in constitution-making, and to assess critically the judgments that reflect the limitations of his time.

Who it's for

A good fit for

University teachers and students studying Irish history and constitutional transition
Scholars working on comparative constitutional law and British constitutional history
Writers of law and history papers who need original English-language sources
General readers interested in early twentieth-century Irish politics

Not a good fit for

General leisure readers seeking popular Irish history narratives
Beginners with limited English reading ability and no familiarity with constitutional terminology
Lower-level undergraduates expecting a systematic textbook-style exposition

Reading tips

Read the constitutional text through first, then read the book, so as to compare the author's interpretation with the original wording.
Read alongside the timeline of the Irish War of Independence and the establishment of the Free State to understand the constitutional background.
Take notes on key provisions and mark where the author's stance differs from later scholarship.
Read in parallel with contemporary British constitutional documents to observe institutional transplantation and local adaptation.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book the legal text of the Irish Constitution itself?

It is not a mere compilation of provisions. The book is the author's discursive work on the Irish Constitution, containing analysis of constitutional principles, institutional arrangements and historical background. It should be read alongside the original constitutional text so as to distinguish the provisions from the author's interpretation.

How does the identity of the author, Figgis, help in understanding this book?

Figgis was an Irish politician and writer who took part in the political and constitution-making affairs of the time. This gives his account an eyewitness perspective and provides background information beyond the text of the provisions, but readers should also be aware of possible biases arising from his standpoint and read critically.

Is this book suitable as an introductory text for constitutional law?

It is not well suited for beginners with no background. The book is aimed at readers who already have some knowledge of Irish history or constitutional law, and it contains many terms and historical references. Beginners would do better to start with general historical introductions before turning to this book.

What should be noted when reading and using the public-domain electronic edition?

This is a public-domain eBook released by Project Gutenberg; it is freely available and easy to search and cite. However, electronic editions usually lack modern scholarly notes and introductions, so it is advisable to use it together with relevant research literature and to verify page numbers and edition information when citing.

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About the author

Figgis, Darrell, 1882-1925 Author

Darrell Figgis (1882–1925) was an early twentieth-century Irish writer and political activist whose life and writing were closely bound up with the Irish independence movement. Two of his works are held in this collection: A Chronicle of Jails and The Irish Constitution. The former draws on his own experience of imprisonment, recording what he saw and felt while detained; documentary in style, it combines personal observation with testimony to the times. The latter discusses the question of the Irish constitution, reflecting the author's concern with political institutions and the issue of self-government. Though different in subject, the two books together reveal his attention to Ireland's political situation and legal order. Public information on his education, specific posts, and literary standing is limited, so his writing orientation and intellectual concerns can for now be understood chiefly through these works.