| The Republic of Ireland Act 1948 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Oireachtas | |
| |
| Citation | Act No. 22 of 1948 |
| Territorial extent | Ireland |
| Passed by | Dáil Éireann |
| Passed | 2 December 1948 |
| Passed by | Seanad Éireann |
| Passed | 15 December 1948 |
| Signed by | Seán T. O'Kelly (President of Ireland) |
| Signed | 21 December 1948 |
| Commenced | 18 April 1949 |
| Legislative history | |
| First chamber: Dáil Éireann | |
| Bill citation | Bill No. 19 of 1948 |
| Introduced by | John A. Costello (Taoiseach) |
| Introduced | 17 November 1948 |
| First reading | 17 November 1948 |
| Second reading | 24 November 1948 |
| Second chamber: Seanad Éireann | |
| Second reading | 10 December 1948 |
| Repeals | |
| Executive Authority (External Relations) Act 1936 | |
| Related legislation | |
| Ireland Act 1949 [UK] | |
| Keywords | |
| Republicanism, Head of state, Diplomatic credentials, Commonwealth membership criteria | |
| Status: Current legislation | |
The Republic of Ireland Act 1948[a] (No. 22 of 1948) is an Act of the Oireachtas which declared that the description of Ireland was to be the Republic of Ireland, and vested in the president of Ireland the power to exercise the executive authority of the state in its external relations, on the advice of the Government of Ireland. The Act was signed into law on 21 December 1948 and came into force on 18 April 1949, Easter Monday,[1][2] the 33rd anniversary of the beginning of the Easter Rising.
The Act ended the remaining statutory role of the British monarchy in relation to Ireland, by repealing the 1936 External Relations Act, which had vested in George VI, in his capacity as a symbol of the cooperation of the nations that were members of the Commonwealth with which Ireland associated itself, and his successors those functions which the Act now transferred to the President.
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- ^ The Republic of Ireland Act 1948 (Commencement) Order 1949 (S.I. No. 27 of 1949). Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book.
- ^ "When Was Easter Sunday in 1949?". Retrieved 21 June 2013.