Born in London to an Irish family, FitzGerald moved to Paris in his early twenties, where he became involved in the Imagist group of poets.

Following the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty in 1921, he supported the pro-Treaty side, leading to his involvement in the Irish Civil War as a member of the Free State government.

He served as Minister for External Affairs from 1922 to 1927, during which he worked to establish the international presence of the newly formed Irish Free State on behalf of the Cumann na nGaedhael political party.

[1] His parents were Patrick Fitzgerald (1831–1908), a labourer from south Tipperary, and Mary Anne Scollard (1847–1927) from Castleisland, County Kerry.

FitzGerald's abstemious, parsimonious character, backed up by a long Anglo-Norman family history, made him an unpopular figure in the movement.

[10] Ever the sceptic, FitzGerald, who was in charge of rations, mentions in his memoir of the 1916 Rising the sudden and unexpected mobilisation, followed by a description of conditions in the GPO, the rebels' headquarters.

While many accounts describe the Rising as a form of blood sacrifice, FitzGerald discussed its wider rationale with the leader[11] Patrick Pearse, and with Joseph Plunkett who had travelled to Germany in 1915 for assistance.

In devising a strategy to retain Ulster, leading republican Ernest Blythe believed a blockade would be disastrous for Belfast.

[16] Conversely, Seán MacEntee demanded a response to what he considered to be a war of extermination against nationalism; there was, he argued, "the potent weapon of blockade".

In late August 1921 Éamon de Valera reshuffled his Cabinet, in which FitzGerald was not included; although in replacing Childers he was named Minister of Publicity.

FitzGerald, by letter dated 17 April 1923, applied on behalf of the Irish Free State for membership of the League of Nations.

Following the defeat of the government in 1932 Irish general election, FitzGerald's interest in politics began to wane, although he continued to be involved.

In 1933, following the merger of Cumann na nGaedhael, the National Centre Party and the Army Comrades Association (Blueshirts), FitzGerald became a member of the ACA.

FitzGerald attempted to add "intellectual substance" to the organisation and was one of the members of the Oireachtas who wore their uniform into the Chambers before doing so was outlawed by the new Fianna Fáil government.

[1] Some historians attribute FitzGerald's 1937 loss to the fact he had pulled away from his constituency to begin work as a lecturer in the philosophy of politics at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana, USA.