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Elaine Byrne: A reimagined Seanad may be the most judicious route to a shared island

In the steps towards greater union on the island of Ireland, we would do well to remember the remarkable democratic accomplishment of the first senate in 1922

In the steps towards greater union on the island of Ireland, we would do well to remember the remarkable democratic accomplishment of the first senate in 1922

The centenary of the first Seanad session falls in two weeks’ time, on December 11. It is fair to say that this historic day marking the establishment of Ireland’s upper house of parliament is not at the forefront of the public mind. The Seanad rarely is.

Yet as the momentum for a shared island grows, Ireland’s first senate offers a unique insight into how minority traditions had a critical role in inaugurating, legitimising and consolidating ...