This article is about the president of the 1919-1922 Irish Republic. For the head of state of the modern Republic of Ireland see: President of Ireland.
President of the Republic The title given to the head of the Irish ministry or Áireacht in August 1921 by an amendment to the Dáil Constitution, which replaced the previous title, Priomh Áire or President of Dáil Éireann. Unlike the previous offices, which were simply head of government or prime minister, the President of the Republic was explicitly declared to be the Irish Republic's head of state.
Following de Valera's resignation, Arthur Griffith was elected to his office, but though he preferred to use the earlier title of President of Dáil Éireann he never actually reverted the constitutional amendments of August 1921. Meanwhile Michael Collins became Chairman of the Provisional Government of the provisional state created in the Anglo-Irish Treaty, 1921.
Following Arthur Griffith's death and Michael Collins's assassination in August 1922, Cosgrave simultaneously held both their offices. In reality all distinction between both offices and indeed both states ceased to exist - by September 1922 it was not even clear when TDs assembled whether they were meeting as the Dail or the Provisional Parliament of the treaty state. Both states themselves and their respective heads of government disappeared with the coming into force in December 1922 of the Irish Free State Constitution Act, 1922 which created the Irish Free State.
While both Irish and UK citizens resident in the state may vote in elections to Dáil Éireann (the lower house of parliament), only Irish citizens, who must be at least eighteen years of age, may vote in the election of the President.
The Taoiseach is appointed upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann (the lower house of parliament), and the remainder of the cabinet upon the nomination of the Taoiseach.
The office of President of Ireland was established in 1937, in part as a replacement for the office of Governor-General that existed during the 1922-1937 Irish Free State.
The IrishRepublic is generally considered to have come to an end in 1922 at the latest, when it was superseded by the Irish Free State.
The military branch of the IrishRepublic were the Irish Volunteers who, shortly after the outbreak of the War of Independence, were renamed as the "Irish Republican Army" to reflect their status as the national army of the new republic.
The judicial arm of the IrishRepublic consisted of a network of Dáil Courts administered by IRA officers, which at first operated in parallel with the British judicial system, and gradually came to supersede it as public opinion swung against the British.
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