This meticulously researched book draws on extensive primary sources to put the Irish constitution in a clear historical perspective. Using accessible language, the authors examine the political context of the conception of the constitution in 1930s Ireland against the background of constitutional developments since the foundation of the state. They follow its passage through the drafting process, identifying and clarifying the precise roles of legal, administrative and religious personnel who contributed to the making of this final and extremely important document, which defined the nature of the modern Irish state.