The 1922 Constitution Committee: A Dramatic Re-enactment

To mark the centenary of the adoption of the Constitution of the Irish Free State (Bunreacht Shaorstáit Éireann) by Act of Dáil Éireann on 25 October 1922, the National Archives and the Courts Service of Ireland present a unique event: a dramatic re-enactment of the proceedings of the 1922 Constitution Committee, performed in the Constitution Suite of the Shelbourne Hotel where the committee met over a period of six weeks. The Constitution Committee was appointed by the Provisional Government in January 1922 to draft the first Constitution of the Irish Free State and was chaired by Michael Collins. Records held in the National Archives comprise minutes, drafts, research and administrative material produced by the workings of the committee. This theatrical production, developed, produced and directed by Geoff Gould based on the records, will tell the story of the committee. What were its objectives? Who were its members? It promises to bring-to-life the discussion and debates between committee members and shed light on the drafting process and final document. ‘The 1922 Constitution Committee: A Dramatic Re-enactment’ will be broadcast live at 7.30pm on 25 October 2022, 100 years to the date since the enactment of the Constitution by Dáil Éireann. The event will be live-streamed from the Courts Service YouTube channel here and the recording of the event will be available to view afterwards on both the Courts Service and National Archives YouTube channels.