Civic, social and political education (CSPE) is a mandatory citizenship education subject taken during the junior cycle in the Irish post-primary curriculum. This article looks at the historical development of the subject from its first incarnation as civics to its recreation as CSPE and then to its recent move into the Wellbeing Programme. The study investigates the challenges of teaching CSPE and how those challenges relate to being a pedagogic subject, as identified by 206 CSPE teachers and based on a thematic analysis of their responses to survey questions. The findings note challenges related to the low-status of the subject and making it relevant to students. The status issues are linked to a disconnect between the conceptualisation and realisation of the subject, a lack of teacher agency and issues regarding its position in the Wellbeing Programme. The article concludes that CSPE lacks the internal ability to overcome these problems and gain increased status.