Editing Constitution of Ireland (section)

===Characteristics of the nation and state===

*'''National sovereignty''': The constitution asserts the "inalienable, indefeasible, and sovereign right" of the Irish people to [[self-determination]] (Article 1). The state is declared to be "sovereign, independent, [and] democratic" (Article 5).
*'''Popular sovereignty''': It is stated that all powers of government "derive, under God, from the people" (Article 6.1). However, it is also stated that those powers "are exercisable only by or on the authority of the organs of State" established by the Constitution (Article 6.2).
*'''[[Names of the Irish state|Name of the state]]''': The Constitution declares that "[the] name of the State is ''[[Éire]]'', or, in the English language, ''Ireland''" (Article 4). Under [[The Republic of Ireland Act 1948]] the term "Republic of Ireland" is the official "description" of the state; the Oireachtas, however, has left unaltered "Ireland" as the formal name of the state as defined by the Constitution.
*'''[[United Ireland]]''': [[Articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution of Ireland|Article 2]], as substituted after the [[Good Friday Agreement]], asserts that "every person born in the island of Ireland" has the right "to be part of the Irish Nation"; however, Article 9.2 now limits this to persons having at least one parent as an Irish citizen. Article 3 declares that it is the "firm will of the Irish Nation" to bring about a united Ireland, provided that this occurs "only by peaceful means", and only with the express consent of the majority of the people in both jurisdictions of Ireland.
*'''National flag''': The [[Flag of Ireland|national flag]] is defined as "the tricolour of green, white and orange" (Article 7).
*'''Capital city''': The Houses of the [[Oireachtas]] (parliament) must usually meet in or near Dublin (Article 15.1.3°) ("or in such other place as they may from time to time determine"), and the President's official residence must be in or near the city (Article 12.11.1°).