▁English . ▁ ▁The ▁Crown ' s ▁representative ▁was ▁express ly ▁bound ▁by ▁the ▁same ▁constitution al ▁convent ions ▁as ▁the ▁Governor ▁General ▁of ▁Canada , ▁which ▁would ▁limit ▁him ▁to ▁a ▁largely ▁cer emon ial ▁role . ▁It ▁was ▁hoped ▁that , ▁if ▁he ▁was ▁given ▁the ▁same ▁title ▁as ▁that ▁used ▁in ▁other ▁Domin ions , ▁then , ▁if ▁the ▁British ▁government ▁attempted ▁to ▁viol ate ▁convention ▁by ▁using ▁the ▁Office ▁of ▁Governor - General ▁to ▁inter f ere ▁in ▁the ▁Free ▁State ' s ▁affairs , ▁these ▁other ▁nations ▁would ▁see ▁their ▁own ▁aut onomy ▁threatened ▁and ▁might ▁object . ▁ ▁Cos gra ve ▁executive ▁The ▁first ▁two ▁Govern ors - General ▁of ▁the ▁Irish ▁Free ▁State ▁assumed ▁office ▁under ▁the ▁pro - T re aty , ▁C umann ▁na ▁n G a ed he al ▁government ▁of ▁W . ▁T . ▁Cos gra ve . ▁When ▁it ▁came ▁to ▁choosing ▁the ▁first ▁governor - general , ▁there ▁was ▁spec ulation ▁about ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁possible ▁candidates , ▁including ▁the ▁f amed ▁Irish ▁painter ▁Sir ▁John ▁La very ▁and ▁Edward , ▁Prince ▁of ▁Wales . ▁However , ▁the ▁Irish ▁cabinet ▁let ▁it ▁be ▁known ▁that ▁it ▁wished ▁Tim ▁He aly , ▁a ▁former ▁Irish ▁Parliament ary ▁Party ▁MP , ▁to ▁be ▁appointed , ▁and ▁the ▁British ▁government ▁ultimately ▁agreed . ▁ ▁When ▁it ▁came ▁to ▁selecting ▁He aly ' s ▁successor , ▁the ▁Irish ▁cabinet ▁chose ▁James ▁Mc Ne ill , ▁an ▁Ul st erman ▁who ▁was ▁a ▁former ▁member