The League of Nations was the first worldwide state-level political organisation, created in the aftermath of the First World War. Ireland joined the League on 10 September 1923 to emphasise that it was a sovereign state and an autonomous actor in world affairs. League membership was an essential part of independent Ireland’s first steps on the international stage.
Drawing from records held in the National Archives, the exhibition explored the early ambitions of the new Irish state as it asserted its independence within an international frame throughout the 1920s and 1930s.
Irish membership of the League of Nations was of great significance. It allowed the new state to develop strategic relations with many countries internationally. It also marked Ireland’s early commitment to areas such as peacekeeping, human rights, and supporting developing countries.
Marking the centenary of Ireland’s membership of the League of Nations, the National Archives, in partnership with the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Royal Irish Academy, created an exhibition featuring records from its collections relating to Ireland’s membership of the League. The exhibition featured official documents, photographs, recollections, letters, and ephemera, and charted the exciting early adventures of the new State as it began to forge an international position for itself.
From its earliest years in the League of Nations, Ireland advocated a peaceful world order and the settlement of international disputes by peaceful means. These were the key goals of the League, and Ireland knew that, as a small state which lacked great military and economic power, membership of a group of like-minded states such as the young League of Nations offered, was its best chance of surviving and thriving on the world stage.
The exhibition, On an Equal Footing with All, Ireland at the League of Nations 1923-1946, was presented at both the Ploughing Championships in Ratheniska and the Dublin Festival of History before travelling to the UN in Geneva and New York. A book was also produced to mark this significant moment in the history of the Irish State.
Publication
The book, On an Equal Footing with All, Ireland at the League of Nations 1923-1946, was produced to mark the centenary of Ireland’s membership of the League of Nations. It explores and evaluates the 23 years of Ireland’s membership, up to the League’s dissolution in 1946, using a chronological and thematic approach.
The book is richly illustrated with more than 80 images, including documents, photographs, and ephemera from the National Archives and other collections. It provides a detailed account of Ireland’s early international relations, its commitment to peacekeeping, human rights, and support for developing countries. The publication also includes insights into the strategic relationships Ireland developed with other countries during this period.
