Nonetheless, the Free State Senate had more power than its successor, the modern Seanad Éireann, which can only delay normal legislation for 90 days.

However, the body's initial membership would be appointed by Dáil Éireann (the lower house) and the President of the Executive Council.

The New York Times remarked that the first senate was "representative of all classes", though it has also been described as, "the most curious political grouping in the history of the Irish state".

[3] Members included W. B. Yeats, Oliver St. John Gogarty, General Sir Bryan Mahon and Jennie Wyse Power.

Thus he had the unique distinction for a time of being a member of both the Oireachtas in Dublin and the British Parliament at Westminster.

The opponents of the Anglo-Irish Treaty also opposed the new Seanad, and 37 of the senators' homes were burnt to the ground.

George Sigerson served as chairman briefly from 11 to 12 December 1922 before the election of Lord Glenavy.

The 76 candidates were then put to the public electorate on 17 September 1925, but without partisan campaigning, turnout was less than a quarter of the 1,345,000 potential voters.

Éamon de Valera had seen its delay of his proposals as illegitimate, although the continuing opposition majority had been a result of his own earlier boycott of the Free State Oireachtas (combined with the provision for the Seanad's self-election).

The abolition was highly controversial at the time and the last chairman Thomas Westropp Bennett played a key role.

As adopted, the Free State constitution contained a number of provisions for direct democracy, which included a special role for the Seanad.

Most importantly it was provided that the Seanad could, if three-fifths of its members agreed, demand a binding referendum on any bill.

Before it was removed, the Seanad's right to demand a referendum was contained in Article 47, which provided for voters to veto legislation directly in certain circumstances.

There would then be a further period of ninety days within which either 5% of all registered voters or 60% of the Seanad could demand a referendum on the bill.

Under the current constitution, a simple majority of senators (with the agreement of one-third of the Dáil) can request that the President of Ireland refer a bill to the people.

The president can thus refuse to sign it until it has been approved either in an ordinary referendum or by the Dáil after it has reassembled after a general election.