December 5

• 1922 The Irish Free State Constitution Act and the Consequential Provisions Act received the royal assent; the king approved T.M. Healy as governor-general designate of the Free State. Saorstát Éireann (the Irish Free State) came into existence the following day.
• 1967 Michael P. O’Connor, writer and broadcaster, died.
• 1914 The Endurance, captained by Sir Ernest Shackleton with Tom Crean as second in command, set out from South Georgia with the objective of crossing the Antarctic continent.
• 1923 Edward Martyn (64), playwright, musician and promoter of Irish culture who founded the Palestrina Choir (1903), co-founded Feis Ceoil, and sponsored and guided An Túr Gloine, died.