Editing 1st Dáil (section)

===Declarations and constitution===
[[File:Irish Declaration of Independence.jpg|thumb|130px|Cover page of the Declaration of Independence]]
A number of short documents were then read out and adopted. These were the:

*[[Dáil Constitution]]
*[[Irish Declaration of Independence|Declaration of Independence]]
*[[Message to the Free Nations of the World]] – calling for international recognition of Irish independence
*[[Democratic Programme]] – a declaration of social and economic policy<ref name="Lyons"/>

These documents asserted that the Dáil was the parliament of a sovereign state called the "[[Irish Republic]]". With the Declaration of Independence, the Dáil ratified the [[Proclamation of the Irish Republic]] that had been issued in the 1916 Rising,<ref name="Lyons"/> and pledged "to make this declaration effective by every means". It stated that "the elected representatives of the Irish people alone have power to make laws binding on the people of Ireland, and that the Irish Parliament is the only Parliament to which that people will give its allegiance". It also declared "foreign government in Ireland to be an invasion of our national right" and demanded the withdrawal of British forces from Irish soil.<ref>Lynch, Robert. ''Revolutionary Ireland, 1912–25''. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2015. pp.140–142</ref> Once the Declaration was read, Cathal Brugha said (in Irish): "Deputies, you understand from what is asserted in this Declaration that we are now done with England. Let the world know it and those who are concerned bear it in mind. For come what may now, whether it be death itself, the great deed is done".<ref>Townshend, Charles. ''Political Violence in Ireland: Government and Resistance Since 1848''. Clarendon Press, 1983. p.328</ref>

The Message to the Free Nations called for international recognition of Irish independence and for Ireland to be allowed to make its case at the [[Paris Peace Conference, 1919|Paris Peace Conference]].<ref name="Lyons"/> It stated that "the existing state of war between Ireland and England can never be ended until Ireland is definitely evacuated by the armed forces of England". Although this could have been a "rhetorical flourish", it was the nearest the Dáil came to a declaration of war.<ref>Smith, Michael. ''Fighting for Ireland?: The Military Strategy of the Irish Republican Movement''. Routledge, 2002. p.32</ref>

The Dáil Constitution was a brief provisional constitution. It stated that the Dáil had "full powers to legislate" and would be composed of representatives "chosen by the people of Ireland from the present constituencies of the country". It established an executive government or [[Ministry of Dáil Éireann|Ministry]] (''Aireacht'') made up of a [[President of Dáil Éireann|president]] (''Príomh-Aire'') chosen by the Dáil, and ministers of finance, home affairs, foreign affairs and defence. Cathal Brugha was elected as the first, temporary president.<ref name="Lyons"/> He would be succeeded, in April, by Éamon de Valera.