Removing the Treaty Oath
Archived: 9 October 2026
In 1933 Fianna Fáil secured a Dáil majority, enabling Éamon de Valera’s government to pursue a stronger interpretation of Irish self-government. The Constitution (Removal of Oath) Act ended compulsory parliamentary declarations involving the Crown and repealed the Treaty’s overriding constitutional status, though Ireland remained short of a republic. Anglo-Irish conflict over land annuities continued to damage agricultural exports during the Economic War. Protectionist measures promoted cereals, industrial credit and sugar production, while land reform and unemployment assistance expanded state intervention. Government suppression of Blueshirt mobilisation preceded Fine Gael’s formation. Meanwhile, Northern Ireland’s Unionist administration remained firmly entrenched, underscoring partition’s persistence.
