'Coming out of the Cave’: The First Inter-party Government, the Council of Europe and NATO

Abstract

This article explores Ireland's participation in the Council of Europe following the repeal of the External Relations Act and departure from the British Commonwealth. It suggests that Ireland played a more significant role in international relations than is often acknowledged and contrasts the government's participation in Europeanbased organisations with its refusal to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). It examines why Ireland, under the guidance of Sean MacBride as minister for external affairs, enthusiastically embraced the opportunity to take part in the Council of Europe, the Organisation for European Economic Cooperation (OEEC), and the United Nations, but not in NATO. Partition, and not particular concerns for the preservation of Ireland's neutrality, motivated the government's stance on NATO membership. Though the fixation with partition remained, participation in multilateral organisations nonetheless marked the beginning of an expanding role for Ireland in international affairs.