The fledgling Free State, free from the violence of the Civil War, was showing real signs of maturity and was very much ready to cement its position as a member of the Commonwealth and the international community of nations, writes Eamonn Duggan

 

As the New Year of 1926 dawned, the people of the Irish Free State looked forward to another twelve months of peace and prosperity. By then it was clear to everyone the fledgling Irish state was finding its feet, not only as an independent nation but also as a new member of the wider international community. This fact was confirmed by the attendance of Free State representatives at the Imperial Conference held in London during November 1926, where they made a very positive contribution to the proceedings.

While the turmoil and chaos of the revolutionary era and the Civil War were, by then, behind the people of Ireland and the country, the onus was on the Cumann na nGaedheal government, led by W.T. Cosgrave, to make sure the Irish Free State carved out a niche for itself on the world stage. All in all, the overall mood across the country was one of optimism, and despite the many social and economic problems which existed at that time, there was a genuine belief the future promised much in terms of peace and prosperity.

In 1926 the population of the Irish Free State was estimated at 2,970,000, which was down some 15,000 on the previous year. Emigration was an issue in 1926 with 30,359 people leaving the state in the hope of finding a new life elsewhere. Those who remained in the Free State had, in the main, come through a period of turmoil since 1916 and, to a man and woman, had developed new life priorities which revolved around family, work and recreation.

However, while the country was forging ahead and cementing its place on the world stage, there was no denying that, domestically, it faced many ongoing economic and social problems. Poor housing and living conditions continued to exercise the minds of the country’s leaders, while the health of many individuals left a lot to be desired, and unfortunately those issues were destined to beset the country for decades.

The year began on an optimistic note with the founding of the first broadcasting station in the Free State, called 2RN. Officially opened by Douglas Hyde, it began broadcasting on 1 January and continued to operate until 1933, when it was succeeded by Radio Athlone which later became known as Radio Éireann.

The original 2RN was located on Little Denmark Street just off Henry Street in Dublin and its first Director was Seamus Clandillon, who remained in the post until 1934. The choice of broadcast wavelength led to complaints from listeners, and the limitations of receiver technology often meant the reception outside of Dublin was poor and left a lot to be desired. From the outset, 2RN broadcasted for three hours at night from 7.30 p.m. and while it was, in essence, a small step in the world of broadcasting it was just another step on the Free State’s journey into the modern world.

That journey took another step on 19 January when Ernest Blythe, who was the Minister for Finance, introduced a Bill into Dáil Eireann providing for the issue of silver, nickel and bronze coins for use in the Free State. The use of the coins came under the Coinage Act of 1926 and, while the Irish pound was pegged to the sterling pound, the fact that the Free State coins were different from the British coins was seen as another way of asserting the country’s independence.

The Government set up a committee chaired by W.B. Yeats to decide on suitable designs for the coins. It decided the harp was to be on most of the coins and all lettering was to be in Irish. Very importantly, the committee decided no individual associated with that particular time was to feature on the coin. Most likely that decision was taken because of the political divisions across the country in the wake of the Civil War.

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