An Overview of the Years 1921-1930

1928 Irish Independent, 13th April, p. 3

1928 Irish Independent, 13th April, p. 3

Irish Independent

1928 Irish Independent, 13th April, p. 3
Irish Independent

1928 Irish Independent, 13th April, p. 3

1928 Irish Independent, 13th April, p. 3

Irish Independent

Enlarge image

Internationally this decade witnessed the post First World War boom, the 'Jazz Age', culminating in the Wall Street crash of 1929. 1927 saw the first 'talking' films. In 1928 penicillin was discovered. In Germany the Weimar Republic was short lived, while in the newly-established Soviet Union Stalin came to power.

In Ireland attempts were made to establish and consolidate the new state following the bloodshed and destruction of the War of Independence (1919-1921) and the Civil War (1922-1923). Increased power of the Catholic Church in matters of censorship etc. began in the 1920s. The Irish Free State began to take a place in the wider community of nations.

1921 (6 December) Anglo-Irish Treaty signed in London, establishing the Irish Free State.

1922 (16 January) Michael Collins, as chairman of the provisional government takes formal control of Dublin Castle from Lord Lieutenant FitzAlan.

1922 (2 February) Publication in Paris of James Joyce's Ulysses.

1923 (10 September) Irish Free State admitted to the League of Nations.

1923 (14 November) W.B. Yeats is the first Irish Nobel Prize laureat.

1923 Irish Independent, 17th November

1923 Irish Independent, 17th November

Irish Independent

1923 Irish Independent, 17th November
Irish Independent

1923 Irish Independent, 17th November

1923 Irish Independent, 17th November

Irish Independent

Enlarge image

1928 (12-13 April) First east-west trans-Atlantic flight. The first east-west flight across the Atlantic from Baldonnell to Greenly Island, Labrador. The monoplane, Bremen, was crewed by Col. James Fitzmaurice, Hermann Kohl and Baron Gunther von Hunefeld.

1928 (30 July) Irish tricolour raised for the first time at the Olympic Games as Dr Pat O'Callaghan becomes the first citizen of an independent Ireland to win a gold medal at the Olympic Games in Amsterdam.

1929 (29 July) Official opening of Ardnacrusha Hydro-electric station in Co. Clare. It began commercial operations on 21 October. German engineering expertise was used in its construction.