ACIS Logo “Ireland is in Paris and is knocking at the door!” Ireland’s Claims for Self-determination and the Paris Peace Conference (January-June 1919)

After the December 1918 General Elections, Dáil Éireann mandated Irish delegates to represent Ireland at the Peace Conference in Paris. Seán T. Ó’Ceallaigh and George Gavan Duffy wrote to the French President and reasserted Ireland’s claims for sovereignty and self determination as advocated by President Wilson. Dáil Éireann hoped to resolve Ireland’s ambiguous relationships with Britain thanks to post-war international politics. What were the respective positions of American and French Governments towards Ireland’s claim for self-determination? This paper analyzes the role of the Irish delegation during the 1919 Peace Conference and sheds light on how representatives of the Irish people hoped to constitutionally settle an agreement at the Paris Peace Conference.

Published on: December 3, 2020