Talk:Irish cabinets since 1919

Discusson
Technically the Provisional Government of Collins was the government of Southern Ireland, as created in the Government of Ireland Act, 1920. To maintain British constitutional theory, it was deemed necessary in the Treaty negotiations to use the governmental institutions in the GoI Act as in British eyes they were the only valid instruments of government. Thus Collins was nominated for appointment by the House of Commons of Southern Ireland (it having also ratified the Treaty at a meeting in the Mansion House) and then formally appointed by the Lord Lieutenant to head His Majesty's Government. The claims of two rival systems were kept going by the ability of each side to attach a different meaning to Collins's meeting with Lord FitzAlan. In British constitutional theory, he met to Kiss Hands. In Irish republican constitutional theory Collins met FitzAlan to accept the surrender of the Castle.

Collins's provisional government operated under the GofI Act, subject to the procedural changes contained in the Anglo-Irish Treaty. FearÉIREANN\(caint) 20:02, 1 November 2005 (UTC)