Finna Fail Governments From 1932-1959

Land annuities and some other payments due Britain amounted to about 5 million pounds annually. De Valera and his legal advisers held that the Act of 1920 liberated Ireland from payment of sums associated with the British Debt. This financial settlement accompanied the Boundary Settlement. De Valera offered to submit the issue to international arbitration. Britain refused stating that it was an Empire issue. The British imposed tariffs on Irish produce designed to punish Ireland and yield amount equal to 6 million pounds annually. These tariffs began at 20% and escalated to 40%. Ireland reciprocated with heavy tariffs on British goods including coal. The ensuing six year “Economic War” all but ruined the Irish Farmer and added many more to unemployed English miners. In 1938 the British government offered to negotiate. The resulting agreement provided for a 10 million pound payment for the annuities and the return of reserved ports to the Irish government. The British refused to negotiate the partition issue.

The negative impact of the Economic War to the infant Irish Republic aside, there were some positive effects. Forced to embrace a self-sufficiency solution to an estimated 8 million pounds worth of food imported annually. Irish farming moved steadily away from livestock to tillage. New small manufacturing operations were established to fill the vacuum of imported production goods.

1938 witnessed one of the most significant achievements of the Fianna Fail – the enactment of a new Constitution. One of the primary issues of the new constitution was that Ireland was a democratic sovereign state drawing its powers under God from the people. The Irish constitution addresses many issues from religious freedom, family, individual rights, property rights to education.

In 1939 the declaration of war on Germany emphasized Ireland’s separation with Britain and added to the strained relationship. De Valera had retrieved the ‘Treaty Ports” in 1938 and with those off the table proclaimed Neutrality during the “National Emergency”. Ireland during World War II suffered much the same economically as during the Economic War because of a multitude of issues. The variety of conditions brought about by Ireland’s neutrality again gave rise to opportunities to exercise self-sufficiency. Northern Ireland because of Wartime ties to Britain enjoyed a steady industrial enhancement. Deprived of raw materials and markets Ireland suffered.

In 1948 the first post war election was held in Ireland. Fianna Fail was defeated. The resulting government was a combination of parties united against Fianna Fail.

It is obvious that many things on a list of achievements of the Fianna Fail governments have elements that appear on the shortcomings list. The drafting of a new constitution is a glowing achievement. The removal of the Oath of Allegiance supports the establishment Ireland as a sovereign nation as does the removal of the British appellate courts. The Neutrality of Ireland during World War II appears on both lists as there were as many negative issues as positive. It is debatable at very least. The Economic Wars with Britain have issues that are both negative and positive. The economic strains of both the

Economic War and World War II Neutrality were clearly not desirable to a fledgling nation. The resulting positive consequences of self sufficiency were a dark trade off. The negotiated conclusion to the Economic War was in Ireland’s favor but the failure of Britain to include discussions regarding partition was an opportunity lost. Economic failures and Sovereignty successes lead the two separate columns.

The transitory evolution of the Fianna Fail party from elements as a republican left of center party to a more centered conservative political element is the story of the Republic of Ireland. The main contribution of Finn Fail is in the process of representing the evolution of the political process during a volatile period of Irish history and establishing Ireland as a sovereign nation and member of the world community.